The Man on Stage
by DazzledIn2008
Summary: Older Bella meets younger Edward after she sees him onstage. Equal parts plot and fluff (M-fluff). Short chapters with daily updates – hopefully.
1. Chapter 1

**The Man on Stage**

The first time I saw Edward Cullen, he was onstage, dressed in a historical costume.

He was an actor in a play, a local musical. My daughter, Bree, and I were theater enthusiasts, and our community theater produced professional-quality shows. We had season tickets, and we never missed a performance.

He had a nice voice, in both speaking and singing, and he was interesting to watch. He drew my attention more than any of the others, but nothing really out of the ordinary... just a mild, passing interest.

After the play was over, the cast gathered in the lobby, as they always did, to greet the audience as they walked out, but that night, they were doing something a little different - a somewhat formal question-and-answer session in a room off of the lobby. I grabbed my daughter, and we sat promptly on the front row.

I was interested to hear what everyone had to say, their motivations, their choices, and I glanced up as each cast member walked in and took their spot at the front of the room, waiting for the program to start.

Then, _he _walked in.

He was dressed in his street clothes - costume, wig, makeup, and fake beard removed. He was wearing faded bootcut jeans, well-worn cowboy boots, and a T-shirt with a picture of his character on the front, stretched snugly across his broad, hard chest. The sleeves were tight, the muscles of his upper arms flexing and pulling against the fabric.

His eyes were large, and his face had a contradicting combination of hard, sharp angles and soft, smooth skin. His mouth was pursed in a perpetual look of surprise and mirth, soft-looking lips just slightly parted.

_Well, fuck me._

I couldn't take my fucking eyes off of him. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, hoping my daughter hadn't noticed my interest. We were very close, and she knew all about my predilections. She would laugh at me good-naturedly, rolling her eyes. It never really bothered her that I liked younger men or that I lusted after some of her friends. Since her father left us when she was a baby, she was completely supportive of me and just wanted me to be happy, to have a full life.

I watched how he moved, what he looked like when he talked. When someone asked him a question about the character he just played, his face lit up, animated and magnetic. But when the conversation shifted to another actor, he stood quietly, respectfully, completely interested and engrossed in what his cast members were saying.

He was beautiful.

I waited my turn, and at a quiet moment, I took my chance, lifting my hand to ask a question. It was all I could come up with at the moment, something about the musical's composer, but I wanted his undivided attention, even if it was just for a few seconds. While I spoke, he looked at me, really _looked _at me, and it took everything I had to tear my eyes away from him and spread my gaze around the room, to the other actors.

The director wrapped it up just a few questions later, and we stood up to mingle with other audience members. We were always the last ones to leave.

My daughter was just outside, talking with a group of friends, so I walked out to meet her, standing right beside her and inserting myself into the conversation. All of her friends knew me, and they all loved me. They thought I was cool and interesting, and they included me as an equal. I laughed easily with them.

My laugh caught in my throat as he suddenly walked up and joined the group, telling people hello, making comments that suggested he knew them well.

When his eyes finally landed on me, it was obvious that he didn't know who I was, the only unknown in the group. It stopped him for a second, like he was surprised to see a new face. His mouth pursed in that surprised look again, soft lips, slightly parted, eyebrows raised.

"Well, hello there," he said smoothly, deeply, extending his hand to me. His voice was like melted butter. "Now... who are you?" he said with a slight cock of his head and a hint of a smile. I gave him my hand and stared at him.

Jesus, I thought my knees might give out.

* * *

**Glad to be back. Hope you're glad to see me as well. ;)**

**This story will be short chapters (2-4 pages), with daily (hopefully) updates. There is some plot, but there is also a LOT of fluff.**

**Thanks, as always, to my best friend and super-beta, LibbyLou862, who polices my spelling and grammar and punctuation, as well as discussing plot and logistics. The logistics conversations are by far my favorite. :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

He was an attractive man when I had watched him from a distance, but when he spoke to me, directly to me, it was as if I were the only person in the room. He was completely committed to our conversation, allowing no distractions, and the power of that, the _intensity_, was staggering. I could _feel _him.

I held his large, warm hand in mine, and I studied his face, excited for the chance to have a much closer look. His eyes were a beautiful soft bluish green, like ocean water, but still and calm and clear. He was muscular, but lean, and the muscles in his arms were tight and ropey, flexing as he shook my hand. His chest and stomach looked hard and firm, and I found myself wondering what he would look like as he pulled that shirt over his head. His hair was a messy reddish-brown color, and he kept pulling at it with his fingers.

I met his eyes and gave him my name, waiting a beat or two before nodding towards my daughter, proudly admitted my maternity. His eyebrows shot up in question.

"Wait," he said, shaking his head. "That's your _daughter_. You're her _mother_. Seriously?" He chuckled softly, waiting for me to laugh at the joke we must have been playing on him.

"Seriously. I'm her mother." I got that a lot. I looked young for my age, and we were often mistaken as sisters, with me being the much older sister, of course. A smile spread across my face, and I had to work hard to suppress an embarrassing giggle.

"Yes," my daughter said suddenly, wrapping her arm tightly around my shoulder. "That's my mom! And this," she said, giving me a quick and obvious up and down glance, "_this_ is my future." She smiled, proudly, happily. She looked exactly like me when I was her age, and she knew she would look exactly like me when she was mine. And she loved it. I was attractive, kept in shape, and looked years younger than my real age. That line about me being "her future" was her standard line. She told _everyone _that.

He whistled slowly, appreciatively.

"Well, well, well," he said smoothly, lifting my hand to his lips. His spoken words were warm and liquid and sounded like music to me. "And what a beautiful future it is." He kissed my hand, giving it a little squeeze, and right as he released my hand, he winked at me. It was smarmy and flirty, and just a little bit cheesy, but oh my God, it was the hottest fucking thing I had ever experienced.

I blushed furiously, and I unfortunately erupted with that girlish giggle I could no longer control.

My daughter punched me in the shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"_Mom_!"

That happened all the time, and it really didn't bother her. She was used to it, but she also loved to call me on it, right in front of whoever was causing my behavior, just to embarrass me further.

Later, in the car on the way home, I decided to casually bring him up, to see what I could find out about him, now that I knew that my daughter knew him. They ran in the same circles, knew the same people. Of course, there was no way I would be able to question her without her figuring out what I was doing.

"So, that guy..." I started.

"Oh my God, Mom, seriously?" She interrupted, laughing immediately. "We're in the car for like two minutes, and you're already fishing for information on him?"

"Okay, okay, sorry..." I laughed with her. "But you know how I - "

"Yes, I know how you are. _Believe _me, I _know _how you are," she exclaimed with a grin. "But..."

I deflated a little, hearing the "but."

"But _what_? But... he's married? But... he's a eunuch? But... he's really a woman? _What_?" I pressed, my hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. I was anxious, wanting to know why I couldn't have him, and I wanted to know quickly, to put myself out of my self-created misery.

"But he's _gay_, Mom. Plays for the other team. Sorry." She patted me on the arm, giving me whatever comfort she could offer. And fuck, gay was something I couldn't overcome, no matter _how _charming I was, or good with my mouth.

"_Gay_?" I asked, exasperated. "Are you _sure_? How did you find out? Who told you? -"

"Mom. Stop. _Seriously_." She interrupted my rant. "_Everybody_ says he's gay. He's been hit on by every girl I know, and he never bites!" I grinned and started to open my mouth to make a comment about biting, and she jumped quickly back in. "Okay, stop. I take that back. _Please _don't make any inappropriate comments about biting. I don't need images of you and your teeth in my head." She glared at me for a few seconds, and then we both laughed before she continued. "They keep trying, all my friends, everyone he's ever been in a show with, and he turns them all down. Very politely, but always a very clear 'no.' He obviously doesn't want to come out, but doesn't want any of _this _either." She gestured to herself, and it took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about.

"Wait," I said, glancing over at her to check her expression. "_You_ tried? And he turned _you _down?" My daughter was gorgeous and sexy and rarely told no. And yes, I knew a little too much about her life. She nodded, obviously not wanting to share details. "Well, then... he _must _be gay," I agreed. We laughed again, and changed the subject, talking about other things on the rest of the trip home.

* * *

**Well, if he's gay ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), then what's left for our heroine? Right? _Right_?**

**And thanks for all of the warm "welcome back's" from old friends. It's good to see you too :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

A few months passed.

I barely thought about him and that night. My life was full, very busy, and I had plenty to keep myself occupied.

A friend of mine was having a birthday party at a local hotel, a really nice one, and she was extremely wealthy so I knew it would be a party I didn't want to miss. I dressed carefully - sexy lingerie underneath - just in case. White blouse, with just enough buttons undone to make a statement. Tight black skirt, very slim, just short enough to matter. Black thigh highs. Tall, black heels. My long mahogany hair down in loose, soft waves.

I looked fucking _hot_. I was confident that I wouldn't be leaving the party alone.

I walked into the hotel, aware of eyes on me here and there. The main bar of the hotel was a part of the hotel lobby, not a separate room, so I had to walk past it, almost through it, to get to the ballroom where the party was located. As I walked past the bar, I heard someone call my name, and I turned to see who it was.

A man in a dark suit was walking towards me, through the bar. I couldn't tell who it was until he was almost upon me, and then he grabbed me in a tight hug, wrapping his arms completely around me.

It was _him_.

It was a great hug, really good. You know how some people are bad huggers, the uncomfortable hug where they barely touch you and lean their head away? And then there are the _good _hugs, warm arms tightly around you, hand rubbing up and down your back, very comforting.

He was an _excellent _hugger.

Finally, he pulled away and looked at me, still holding onto my arms, rubbing slowly up and down, a big grin on his face.

"Well, hello pretty lady!" he exclaimed.

That excessive charm just did me in, the gentleman act, the sweet, sweet lilt to his voice. I should have rolled my eyes, but I did just the opposite. It slayed me, and I laughed and blushed furiously.

He was wearing my favorite combination of clothes on a man. Black suit, black shirt, no tie, open at the neck. He looked fucking _hot_.

"How _are _you?" I asked. I mean, I really didn't know him that well, having only met him that one time with my daughter. It wasn't like we were friends, or even acquaintances. But he greeted me like we had known each other for years. It was sweet, actually. So many people I met quickly forgot my name, and we had to be reintroduced repeatedly. I always felt that it was rude, that it meant you didn't care enough to remember.

But _he _remembered.

"I am _fantastic_," he said enthusiastically. He took my hand in his and gave a little half-turn, switching my hand behind his back, and he pulled me towards the bar, to an open stool next to his. He held my hand until I was safely seated, and then he got comfortable. He called the bartender over, and asked me what I wanted to drink.

"I have a party..." I started, motioning with my head to the room just down the hall, but he touched my hand and looking in my eyes.

"Just have a drink with me. One drink. _Please_."

That "please" did me in, so I caved.

* * *

**Just having a drink in a bar with her new gay friend, nothing to look at here folks...**

**But it's coming. I promise it's coming.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

I settled in, thinking that I'd have a drink or two with him, then head over to the party. Maybe bring him with me if he seemed interested. I could always use another gay friend.

The more we drank, the more our natural flirtiness came out. We were both very physical people, apparently, and we touched each other as we talked. A hand on an arm, a quick touch, a soft rub.

"So, tell me about yourself," I said. We had been talking about everything in the world, politics, the news, entertainment. He was a great listener, but could also tell a great story. Neither of us had talked about ourselves at all, other than my one initial reference to the party I was supposed to attend. "What are you actually doing here tonight?"

"Well, the company I work for, we're here doing a little entertaining," he said with a wink, like I wouldn't know what that meant. "Clients from out of town, you know... get them liquored up and get them to make some commitments." He grinned sheepishly, like he was a little embarrassed by the tactics, but not enough to truly resist.

"That sounds like fun," I teased. "What do you do?"

"I work for a pharmaceutical company, in sales," he said. I nodded, letting him know I was listening. "I love it, I really do. I'm a people person, and I need to get out of the office and just talk to people." He touched my arm when he said that, and I thought I would slide off the chair. I don't know why he still affected me the way he did. I knew I couldn't have him. "Although, I've been in this damn hotel for a week now," he said, with a hint of frustration.

"What do you mean" I asked. "In the bar? Entertaining?"

"Well, that," he said. "Yes. But no one can drive after all the drinking, of course, so the company puts us up in the hotel. Rooms, food, drinks, everything, for the whole week. It's fun at first, but after a few days, I'm tired of the jet-set life, and I just want to be home."

"Wow," I replied. "That's fantastic, really. Very generous. I heard this place was amazing. I read an article somewhere, maybe _Southern Living_? I can't remember, but it was about the decorator. How the design of the rooms was completely different and innovative."

"Oh, yes!" he said, excitedly. "The rooms are _really _nice." He paused for a minute, sipped his drink and seemed to gather his thoughts. "Actually," he said, "I have a suite. They give us a suite because sometimes things get a little raucous," he said with a wink. I made a face, not sure if he was talking about something I didn't want to know, and he immediately reacted. "No! Not like _that_!" He laughed and leaned towards me, placing his hand on my knee.

"Well, I was wondering..." I started.

"No! Oh my God, you must have thought I was some sort of horrible, lacking-in-morals, corporate pimp!"

I laughed when he said "pimp," but his hand was still on my knee, my bare knee, my freshly-shaved, recently-lotioned knee, and the skin-to-skin contact was fogging my brain. I tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but all I could think about was him moving his hand under my skirt. I had to stop this. I was getting myself unnecessarily excited, when no sex with him was in my immediate future.

We both stopped laughing at about the same time, sighed a little, then took sips from our drinks.

* * *

**Hmm. He keeps touching her. And she keeps reacting. I wonder why...**

**This one was really short. If I have time, I might post the next chapter tonight, just as a little extra for y'all. :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of hours, and several drinks, later, I realized that I had missed the party, but I didn't really care. I was quite happy where I was, and things seemed to be moving along nicely with him. He was extremely attentive, and focused all of his attention on me. It was flattering and a little surprising. His hands lingered a little longer when he touched me, and we leaned towards each other more. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was obvious where the evening was headed.

He was pursing his lips again, and I couldn't tear my eyes away. All I could think about was touching them, they looked so warm and soft. Maybe slipping something inside, like a finger, or a tongue, or a hard nipple.

Fuck.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I just blurted it out.

"_That_," I said, quite pointedly, an accusation.

"What?" he said, somewhat innocently. Apparently, he couldn't read my mind, and didn't know what I was talking about.

"You keep doing _that_," I said, and pointed to his mouth.

"What?" he said again, amused. "What am I doing?"

"That thing with your mouth," I whispered, my eyes on his lips.

"What thing?" he whispered back, his voice a little lower.

"Your mouth," I said, rubbing a finger across my bottom lip thoughtfully. "Your lips, open like that. It makes me want to ... put something in there." I don't know why I said it. I wasn't really thinking, it just came out.

He looked at me for a long time, and I thought, this is it. This is when he climbs off the barstool, and tells me how nice it's been, but he has to be heading home.

"So, do it," he said, lowly.

I was in stunned silence for a moment, just a beat or two, but long enough for those three words to roll around in my head repeatedly. I didn't believe what I had heard.

"_What_?" I asked. I had to know if he really said it, or if I had just lapsed into a fantasy suddenly.

"Do it," he repeated. "Go ahead, and do it."

His eyes were blazing suddenly, his pupils so wide and dark that I could only see a faint circle of blue-green remaining. I got caught up in the moment, forgetting who I was with.

I reached up, slowly, not so he could fend me off, but because my brain was foggy, and I couldn't really communicate with my limbs effectively, and I stroked his bottom lip with my finger. Just once. Very softly.

He quickly dipped his head down and grabbed my finger between his teeth, biting me gently.

I started laughing, so surprised by his action, and he joined me, until he rubbed the tip of his tongue across my finger, still caught between in his teeth. It was like electricity coursing through my body, and I immediately quieted, got really serious.

"Ohhhhhhh, fuck," I said softly. I didn't even realize I had said it until he replied.

"What?" he said, slowly releasing my finger.

"Y-your..." I stuttered. I wanted to say "tongue," but I suddenly realized the inappropriateness of a comment like that, so I hesitated.

"My what?" he asked, his voice soft and sweet, a tiny smile on his face.

"Aren't you..." I started. "I mean, are you..." I couldn't finish the sentence. I just couldn't ask him.

"Am I what?" He seemed amused by my question.

I paused for several seconds, trying to decide what to do, what to say. Finally, I just said it. I had to know.

"_Gay_?" I said, a little too loudly. "_Are_ you gay or _aren't _you?"

* * *

**Uh-oh. Here we go. Wonder what's going to happen now? Any ideas?**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

His jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide.

"_Gay_?" he asked, also too loudly. "_No_!" he shouted, then realized his volume level, looked quickly around, and regrouped. "_No_," he whispered. "I am _not _gay! What on earth made you think that?" He looked amused, but also a little hurt. I had to fix this and quick.

"I heard, well, actually," I hesitated. "My... my daughter told me." I admitted. He looked at me thoughtfully for a minute, ran his hand through his hair, and sighed.

"What did she tell you? Exactly."

"Well," I hesitated, but he was waiting, not speaking. "She said that you were gay. Outright." He kept silent, urging me to continue, to complete the story. "That all the girls you had been in plays with had hit on you, but that you had turned them all down." He sighed. "Including my daughter," I said with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

He looked down and smiled.

"That's what I thought," he said with a chuckle and looked up. He met my eyes, and continued. "I _always _turn them down. I'm just not interested in them... in _girls_."

Now I was confused. He said he wasn't gay, but he just said he wasn't interested in girls. I had no idea what was going on.

"Wait. _What_?" I asked. He laughed.

"I said, I'm not interested in _girls_. I like _women_."

He let that sit for a moment, then he put his hand back on my knee. He looked up at me, his blue-green eyes, wide and intense.

"Women. Like _you_."

"Fuck," I muttered softly, the realization that I could have him, and that it seemed that he wanted me, settling in.

"Is that an invitation?" he replied coyly, his fingers moving softly on my leg, sliding just inside my thigh, under the edge of my skirt. I sucked in a breath and bit my bottom lip in an effort at self-control, a battle I was quickly losing.

"An invitation?" I breathed. "Absolutely. Yes. Anything." It was a little pathetic and desperate on my part, but I was fairly sure he was on the hook, and I was definitely interested, so I wanted to lock it down, make sure he knew.

"Anything?" he asked, the corner of his smile turning up into a devastating smirk, his hand sliding a little further, fingers fully disappearing under my skirt. My inner thigh was tingling.

"Oh God, yes," I moaned. "Please."

He didn't speak, just held my eyes for a moment, like he was thinking, calculating. I was wondering if begging him would be too demeaning for me, how far I would go, when he suddenly removed his hand and stood up. I panicked for an entire second. Then, he straightened his suit and held out his hand to me.

"Would you like to see my suite?" he asked innocently. I looked at his hand, and then back at his eyes, and I slowly gave him my hand and stood. The implication was clear, and I hoped that my knees wouldn't collapse beneath me.

"Absolutely," I replied back confidently. "Yes."

He gave me a quick grin and a squeeze of his hand, then turned to the bartender and nodded.

"Jake, we good?" he asked, and the bartender nodded back.

"Yes, Sir. Have a good evening," the bartender replied with a smile.

He looked back at me and pulled my hand, urging me to follow him, so I started walking.

The elevator was right around the corner from the bar, so we were there in less than a minute. My heart was pounding, and I was slightly buzzed from the alcohol, but completely in control of all of my faculties. I wanted to remember this.

He hit the button, and we waited, every possible scenario flying through my head. What would he do when we got to his suite? Would we make nervous small talk until one of us made a move? Or would he attack as soon as the door was closed? I desperately hoped for the latter.

Finally, the doors opened and several people filed out. When the elevator was empty, he tugged on my hand gently and motioned for me to go first.

Always the gentleman.

That is, until the doors closed.

* * *

**Insert evil laugh here. Damn, this was fun to write...**

**Next up, FLUFF. Man, I love fluff. Especially hot Edward fluff. **

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

In a split second, he had me pushed against the back wall, and I was surprised at the change in him, the instant aggression and dominance. But I wasn't upset or worried. I was just fucking turned _on_. I _liked _it.

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him yes, that I liked it that way, that I wanted it, but he crushed his lips on mine and shoved his tongue in my mouth. His hands wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me tightly against him. He moved one leg between mine, and I took a step to the side to accommodate him, to open up, and I instantly felt the pressure of his erection against my thigh.

The bell dinged, and the elevator doors opened. I didn't even see him hit a button for the floor, but we must have been in the right place, because he instantly detached himself from me and grabbed my hand again, pulling me out into the plush hallway.

He was a perfect gentleman, once again, the entire walk to the door of the suite, but I had a feeling that I knew which way this would go once the door closed behind us. My previous curiosities had been completely satisfied by the eventful elevator ride.

He put the key in the door. It made that soft clicking sound that meant entry.

He opened the door, holding it so that I could enter first.

The door closed behind us, automatically, as all hotel doors do.

And then, he was on me again.

He shoved me against the foyer wall, barely in the room, and buried his tongue in my mouth again. His hands were immediately on my body, pulling at my skirt, lifting it until I could feel the cool air conditioning in the room between my legs.

"Hold this," he groaned, gesturing for me to hold my pushed up skirt in place for him. I grabbed it with my hands, just as he wanted, and he freely slid his hands down my legs.

When his hands hit the top of my stockings, he stopped and pulled away, looking at my face. We were both breathing hard.

He didn't say a word, just pulled back more and looked down at my body, to see what he had just touched. He groaned audibly when he saw the combination of thigh-highs, lace panties, and heels.

"Jesus," he said roughly, his eyes still glued to my legs. "So fucking hot."

He took a deep breath and released it, then looked at me for several seconds. It was like he was deciding something.

And then he dropped to his knees, burying his face between my legs.

I gasped, so surprised by his sudden action, but held my skirt firmly in place, silently begging him not to stop. He wrapped his hands around my thighs, pulling me to him tightly, pushing his face back in my lace covered crotch. He was breathing deeply, inhaling me, brushing his nose from top to bottom, side to side, not wanting to miss a thing. The light touch was driving me insane.

His hands slid up behind me until he was cupping my bare ass, stroking and squeezing for a moment, then slowly pulling down the back of my thong, twisted between his fingers, until they were off, puddled at my ankles. He pulled at them so I could step out of them, and he tossed them to the side.

He looked back up at me, that beautiful face tilted up, almost asking for permission. Jesus, Christ, yes, anything! I didn't want him to ever stop. And I loved where he decided to start.

"Yes," I whispered with a quick nod and a small smile. "Anything... just... _please_."

He smiled once, in acknowledgement, then got real serious, lowering his face to where my legs met my body. He looked at my bare pussy and made a small sound, a sound in his throat, and he looked up at me once again, but this time, it was all heat and hunger.

He looked back down, grabbed my ass again, and dove in.

No ceremony. No soft words. Just his lips and tongue instantly and aggressively between my legs.

I felt his tongue, his warm, soft, wet, tongue, travel from top to bottom, and then slide inside, returning back to the top, barely grazing my clit in the process. I almost came out of my shoes at that point.

I thrust my hips forward, begging him for more.

"_Please_..." I whispered.

"Tell me what you want, pretty lady," he said as he ran his nose up and down my bare skin. "Tell me, and it's yours."

His voice was low and gravelly. I could tell he was as turned on as me, and that hopefully, we would both spend some time giving each other what the other wanted. What we _both _wanted.

"I want you to make me come... with your tongue," I finally said. I was never a shy person, and I said what I wanted, in the office, _and _in bed.

He grinned at me, looking up at me through his beautiful, dark lashes, and his hands came around from behind me, to the front of my thighs. He started stroking my bare skin with his thumbs, which felt so, so good, and I moaned softly just from that soft touch. It make me tingle everywhere.

Then, he opened me up, looking at me again, one last time, his eyes flashing that brilliant blue-green, and he disappeared between my legs.

* * *

**Okay, we're there now. Sorry it took me 7 chapters to GET there, but I like a lot of setup.**

**And this is just the beginning, I promise. Oh, and don't forget about the plot. "_There will be plot_."**

**LOL (literally) to the review from EdwardsKitten who said "I'd like to 'fluff' Edward." ME TOO SISTER, ME TOO! :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

All I could see was the top of his head, but I could feel his tongue inside me, fucking me, slick with my wetness, then sliding up to my clit and flicking, pressing, sucking, biting, until I moaned loudly and buried a hand in his hair. I squeezed tightly, a handful of his soft hair in my fingers, and he had to have felt it, but he never made a sound. Well, just the sounds of him devouring me, which was making me that much more aroused. Hearing him and feeling him... Jesus, I wasn't going to last long.

I pulled him to me and lifted my hips to his mouth. I was so close, and when he finally slid a finger inside me, slowly fucking me, and concentrating his tongue on my clit, I let him know what he was doing to me.

"Oh yes, like that... just like that... please..." I was mumbling a litany of words, nonstop. I couldn't help myself. "I'm so fucking close... oh God... yes... don't stop, I'm gonna come, baby." His tongue and fingers were amazing and hungrily working my pussy. I could hear the noises the he was making, growling, wet, and hungry, and it fucking made me insane. "I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come, don't stop..."

Then, he pulled back from me and looked up. What was he doing? Why was he stopping? I was so fucking confused and so desperate to come, especially now.

He stood up quickly, his face inches from mine, and he licked his bottom lip.

"Mmm," he moaned softly. "You taste so fucking good."

Then, he kissed me. Slowly at first, tasting of me, then our hunger building, our tongues sliding, and it was passionate and hard, tasting of us both.

He finally pulled away, both of us breathless, and grabbed my hands.

"Sorry about that," he said softly, looking down, his cheeks growing pink. "I didn't mean to do that, to act so ungentlemanly, but... I've wanted to do that since the minute I saw you tonight. I kept wondering how you would taste."

I cleared my throat and waited for him to look up, to meet my eyes again.

"And?" I asked nervously. I was hoping for a positive answer. If not, the entire evening was about to be over.

"Better than I ever could have imagined. Fantastic. Delicious."

He smiled, and I smiled with him. This would be good.

He grabbed one of my hands and pulled me along, out of the foyer and into the living room, which was large and beautifully appointed. Yes, I wanted to fuck him in every room, every surface of his super deluxe suite, but right now, I just wanted to fuck him in a bed.

"Bedroom, please," I asked with a longing in my eyes. He leaned in and kissed my neck, then whispered seductively in my ear.

"So you don't want to fuck on the couch... or on that big giant chair... or want me to go down on you on that huge dining room table... or suck my dick against the balcony railing outside... or take you from behind in that big bathroom mirror? Hmm?"

He pulled back so he could see my face.

"Actually, that's _exactly _what I want to do. In that order. Thanks for the laundry list. Now we have goals." I grinned. He was a little surprised at my forwardness and my reply, but he seemed to love it, and was ready for whatever I was up for. "But first," I whispered in _his _ear, "I want to get you completely naked and on that big bed in there." I gestured with my head to the direction of the bedroom.

He smiled broadly, easily agreeing with my plan, and pulled me into the bedroom. He stood at the end of the bed and looked at me for a minute. Then, he started to take off his jacket, and I stopped him.

"No," I said softly, but firmly. "Let me." He stopped and smiled.

I placed my hands on his chest, and I could feel how hard and firm he was under his expensive black shirt. I slid my hands up to his shoulders, under his suit coat, and pushed the coat off of him, until it hit the floor. I quickly unbuttoned his shirt, pulling and tugging until it joined his coat on the floor. I was unable to resist touching his bare skin, and I ran my fingers across his hard chest, through the dusting of hair, scraping my fingernails lightly across his hard nipples until he gasped. _Yes_.

I slid my hands down his stomach and unbuckled his belt. A slip of a button, a tug of a zipper, and his pants were on the floor. He stood there, breathing heavily, in nothing but tight black briefs, the boxer kind. He was glorious, even more beautiful in his natural form. Lean, muscular, strong.

I placed my hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him back until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked up at me, a curious expression on his face… anxious, excited, wondering.

I kneeled at his feet, removing his shoes and socks, then slipped his pants completely off and out of the way. Now, all that was left was his briefs, and I wanted them gone as well. I slipped my fingers into the waistband and pulled them down. He lifted up, just enough for me to complete my task, and they were quickly out of the way.

Now, he was naked.

And mine.

* * *

**Hmm. Naked Edward. This can only get better from here, right?**

**Sorry for the delay in posting today. A little under the weather :( I think I need a tall, bronze-haired nurse to give me a spongebath.**

**Thanks again to LibbyLou862, the best beta and best friend on the planet...**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

I ran my hands up his thighs, back and forth, fingernails scratching, fingertips touching his hot skin. He was breathing heavily, and his cock was straining upwards, hard and ready.

Instead of taking him in my mouth, which he assumed I was going to do, I stood up and stepped back, just out of his reach. He sucked in a breath and just watched from his seated position.

The only thing he had taken off of me was my thong, so I was still completely dressed. I wanted to give him a little show... not that he wasn't completely ready, but I liked to tease a little.

I unbuttoned my shirt, agonizingly slowly - for both of us - then, pulled it from my skirt so I could take it off. I saw him swallow hard as his eyes fell on my black lace bra, and I rejoiced in my choices.

I reached behind me, unzipping my skirt, my eyes never leaving his, a difficult task, indeed - he was naked and beautiful and ready and waiting for me. Just me.

I pushed the skirt down, wiggling my hips until it was free enough to fall to the floor, then kicked it softly out of my way, joining my rumpled shirt.

"Jesus, _fuck_," he groaned, his eyes roaming all over my body. I still had my bra on, but he had removed my panties, so I was bare from the waist down. I think he got a little harder.

I reached up to each shoulder, crossing my arms across my chest, and pulled the straps down from my bra. Then, I reached back and unhooked the clasp, pulling back my arms and allowing the bra to fall to the floor.

He made a noise, a strange, deep noise from deep in his chest, and he started to stand, but I quickly stopped him.

"Ah, ah, ah," I scolded. I lifted a foot and placed my stockinged leg and black-heeled shoe on his bare chest and pushed him back. It was not an easy move, but my balance was pretty good, and I had a point to make. Which I did, digging my heel into the flesh of his chest. "You stay right where you are," I whispered.

He lifted his hands and started to stroke my calf, but I quickly pulled away and backed up a few steps. I still had a few items of clothing left to go, and I wanted to finish my little strip tease so we could move on to the main act.

I waited for him to settle back on the bed, which he did with a heavy sigh and a quick cock of his eyebrow. He was being patient, for now, but I needed to get on with it before he grabbed me and threw me on the bed, which actually didn't sound like a bad idea.

I reached down to my thigh, slipping my fingers into the top of the stocking on my right leg, and I started to pull it down and off.

"_No_," he said suddenly, forcefully.

I looked up, freezing my position, more than a little confused, and waited for him to explain.

"Leave them on." His voice was rough and deep, and the control thing got me a little hotter than I already was. I pulled the stocking back up, securing the elastic in place.

I started to step out of my shoes.

"_No_," he said again, that same tone to his voice. "Those too. Leave them on." Then, he pushed back on the bed until he was lying right in the middle. "And come here. Now."

Oh, yeah. He was a kinky motherfucker, and I loved it. So shoes and stockings it was. Not a problem. I wondered what else he liked.

I climbed onto the bed until I was directly over him, my hair tumbling over my shoulders and grazing his skin. His eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, just for a second.

"Okay, I'm here," I said teasingly, the corner of my mouth lifting. "Now what?" I lowered my face to his and started to brush my lips against his, but he grabbed me and flipped us over until I was on my back, pinning my wrists to the bed, and he was on top of me. I was breathless for a moment, but I quickly recovered, anxiously awaiting his next move. I liked this game. Fuck, I liked _him_.

"_Now what_?" he said, repeating my words. I wanted to touch him, and I tried to lift my arms, but I couldn't. He was holding me hard and fast. He felt my struggles and grinned at my inability to move. Fuck, yeah, that was hot. Bring it on. I could, however, move my legs, so I did. I opened up to him, wrapping a leg slowly around his hip, making sure I scratched his back with my heel. He winced slightly, sucking in a soft breath, then returned his attention to me. "Now," he said with a grin. "Now, I'm going to fuck you, little lady, and fuck you hard."

* * *

We parted that night on good terms. An exchange of numbers, but no specific promise to communicate or to repeat our actions. I had a great time, yes, and I would love to see him again, but this was the game, and I had played many times. I didn't have any expectations. I would adapt. I always did.

Everything was great. I had moved on with my busy life, and life was good.

Until pictures from that night appeared on the Internet.

* * *

**Dun Dun _DUN_!**

**Yeah, there's that pesky plot I've been warning y'all about - I sincerely hope you all don't hate me now! Will it help if I tell you that there is still a LOT more sex to come? Pinky swear...**

**And the shoe in the middle of the chest thing? I know, probably can't happen in real life, but I liked it, so it happened in this story. Suspend belief with me.**

**A couple of readers said that they really liked the dominant part of Edward... If you like D/s stories, check out "Beautiful" in my list. If you like crazy, psychotic violent (not kidding) older Bellas, check out "Trunk Boy." Three very different stories.**

**Also, thanks to everyone wishing me good health! I am definitely feeling better:) Yall are sweet...**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

It was a phone call. It was always just a phone call that brought the worst news.

It started with a call from my daughter, Bree, asking me how I was, what I had been doing. We talked about her for a minute, catching up, and then, I started to tell her about running into Edward at the hotel and everything that happened after, but another call beeped in. I pulled the phone away from my head to see who was calling me.

It was my friend Jessica. We had plans to get together that night, so I wanted to touch base with her, just to make sure we were still on to meet at the bar.

"Hang on, Bree. Jess is calling, and I need to check some plans real quick." She quickly agreed. She wouldn't wait long, but she would wait. I clicked over.

"Hey Jess, we still on for tonight?" I hadn't seen her recently, and I was really excited about getting together and catching up over several blueberry lemon drop martinis.

"_Bella_," she said sharply. "Are you alone? Are you home? Where are you?" She sounded flustered, panicked. Shit, probably man trouble. That girl went through them faster than I did, but she invested her heart every time, and I, unfortunately, had to pick up the pieces.

"Well, no, Jess," I said, a little frustrated, not knowing what she had to tell me, but assuming the worst. "I'm on my way back to the office, and I'm on the other line with Bree. What?"

"Hang up right now," she said. "Hang up, and go straight home, and then call me back."

"Jess," I said, more than a little frustrated with her spy game tactics. "What? Just tell me." She sighed heavily.

"Okay, hang up with Bree, and start walking to your house, and then I'll tell you. Believe me, you're gonna want to be at home, and soon."

I hated when she was purposely mysterious like this. She did this all the time, creating drama where there was none.

"Alright," I sighed heavily. "Hang on." I switched back to Bree and started my apology.

"Hey honey, sorry, Jess has some crisis and needs me. Can I call you back later?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. She knew Jess and our history. "No problem. Talk to you later."

"Thanks. Bye honey, love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

I disconnected the call and switched back to Jess, walking towards my townhouse, which was actually on the way back to my office, so I could easily just go straight to work once she spilled the beans about this latest crisis.

"Okay, Jess, I'm all yours and walking towards my house. Now, tell me. What."

"Bella... oh God, I don't know how to tell you this."

Jesus, this was going to go on for awhile, I could tell. And I had appointments all afternoon. I didn't have time for her antics, and I got a little frustrated.

"Jessica, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay?" she said with a question and a heavy sigh, like she wasn't sure. "Um, I'm texting you a link, hang on."

A link? Fuck, really? Did her favorite movie star run off and get married? Jesus. My phone dinged, and the text came through. The link was to a site I had never heard of. It certainly wasn't Entertainment Weekly or Perez Hilton, so my curiosity was piqued.

"Okay, I got the link. What is it?"

"Oh Bella, I can't even say," she said, sounding really upset. I was worried. What had she gotten into now? "Just click on it."

So I did.

I clicked the link on my phone and waited for the page to load.

The header of the page loaded first, and it was a flashy banner for a site called "Real-Life Mrs. Robinson Seductions." Various pictures loaded, _really _graphic pornographic pictures, with links under them.

It was a fucking _porn _site.

"Jessica, _Jesus_! This is porn!" I yelled at her. I seriously didn't have time for this. "Why the fuck are you sending me a porn site?"

"Bella," she said, her voice starting to tremble, like she was about to cry. "Scroll down to the bottom and click on the link next to 'Mrs. Robinson gives Benjamin a night to remember.'"

What the hell? But, I did as she asked. And I waited for it to load, which it did, extremely slowly. When it finally came up, everything was really small, and I couldn't tell what I was looking at.

"Okay, Jess, what am I looking for? All I see is a bunch of really dirty pictures, and I really -"

"Click on the first one," she said, cutting me off. So I clicked on the first pic and waited for it to load. It was a naked guy on a bed, with a half naked woman standing next to him. Something about the picture looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Okay, _what_." I was quickly losing interest and patience.

"Magnify it," she said, her voice sounding strangely small and far away. "Look... look at her face."

I zoomed in on the woman's face, and couldn't quite comprehend what I was seeing.

It was... me. It was a picture of me. It was me, half naked, on a _porn _site. Me, naked, on the _Internet_.

* * *

**Yeah. I don't really have anything terribly snarky to say here, cause that would be pretty awful if it happened. So Bella is pretty upset right now. But it will work out, I promise. :)**

**Remember when I said this story was half-plot, half fluff? This is the plot half. More fluff to come, I promise. Hang with me, and try not to kill me in the meantime.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

I must have stood there staring at that picture for a while, because I started to hear Jess's voice yelling for me over the phone. I slowly put the phone back to my ear.

"Jess?"

"_Bella_?" She was openly crying now. "Did you... did you _see _it?"

"I..."

I really didn't know what to say. I was still trying to figure out what I saw, and how that could have possibly happened. I realized that I was just around the corner from my house, and I was glad she sent me in that direction. She was right. I _would_ want to be home for this. I needed to figure out what happened, do some damage control.

"Jess, I'm at my house," I said. "Let me call you back later, okay?" I hung up, not waiting for her to answer, because I knew she was going to cry and want me to listen, and considering what just happened, I really didn't have time for that.

I unlocked the door and bolted for the den, where my laptop was still sitting from the night before. I quickly opened up a browser and entered the URL from Jess's text message. I had excellent broadband service, and the page loaded much quicker than on my phone.

The pictures were also considerably larger on my laptop and much better quality. I could see so much more detail. I clicked on every picture under that heading, quickly moving to the next so that I could know the damage, the extent.

Everything was there. _Every _room. _Every _act. _Every _fucking position.

I realized, very quickly, that I was going to be sick, so I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. I hadn't eaten lunch, so there wasn't much to come up, but I kneeled there for a while, staring at the water, random thoughts running through my head.

_How did the pictures get taken?_

_Where were the cameras?_

_Who put them there?_

_How did the pictures end up on that website?_

_Was Edward -_

Shit, Edward. It had to be Edward. He had to have taken the pictures, arranged for the cameras. I didn't want to believe it, but the proof was right in front of my face, glaring at me in beautiful 1080p. I certainly didn't know anything about it, so it had to be him.

And did I really know him? I mean, he was in plays with my daughter, with the local community theatre, but that was it. Other than that, I had no idea who he was. And then I started to think about his sexual aggression, how he attacked me in the elevator, in the foyer of the hotel room. How he pinned me to the bed.

I mean, I liked it. I _thought _I liked it. Maybe, in hindsight, I didn't. Now that I knew that he was some sort of perverted porn freak and that he exploited me for some sick fucking rush.

_Goddamn it!_

How could he fucking _do _that to me?

I went back to the site and scoured it for information.

It was a pay-per-view site. Basically, the pictures on the website that I saw were just the teasers, and if you gave them your credit card, you got unlimited access.

I started to get sick again, thinking of what the "unlimited" pictures could be. How much worse could this get?

I knew it was a bad idea, but I pulled out a credit card from my wallet. I grabbed the one I never used, the one just for emergencies, thinking that I could cancel it if the site stole my information and resold it.

I entered the information and waited.

It didn't take long, and when the pictures appeared, I clicked on them, one by one. There were literally hundreds of them. In chronological order, from the minute we stepped into the suite until we walked out. Every single room. Every single minute.

I just didn't understand it. I didn't understand how he could have done it. Once I started to think about it, I just became more and more confused. He would have had to have a camera in every room - actually, more than one camera in each room because there were pictures from several angles.

I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my contacts, and I was calling him before I even realized what I was doing, what I would say.

It rang four times, and voicemail picked up.

_Fuck_!

I didn't want to leave a message. I mean, what would I say? "_Hey Edward, it's Bella from the other night. Just saw the pictures online, and I was wondering what the fuck your problem is?"_

Yeah, that wouldn't work.

So I hung up.

There was an 800 number plastered all over the website, so that was my next call.

Unfortunately, I spoke to four different guys, all wanting to sell me more porn. They basically just gave me the runaround. Finally, they sent me to the legal department, or at least what they _told _me was the legal department. I told them I wanted the pictures taken down _immediately_. I was told that all actors signed a legal release and that the pictures were perfectly legit.

I lost my shit and screamed at him that it was _me _in those pictures and that I could assure him that I did _not _sign a release, that I did _not _know I was being photographed, and if I did, that I would have _never _agreed to it.

He just repeated the same line to me over and over about how all of their actors sign legal releases. I finally hung up on him.

There was only one phone call left to make, and I dreaded it more than anything.

I had to call Charlie.

* * *

**Yeah. Charlie.**

******Again - plot. More fluff coming. I swear. And plot too. Plot and fluff. Ploff.**

**Hopefully, you are all forgiving me for this 180, and hanging with me until we get sticky again.**

**P.S. - Y'all are ALL awesome. :)**

**LibbyLou862, I heart you bigtime.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

I sat in a cold room, on a hard chair, and I took another sip of the lukewarm sludge they passed off as coffee.

Charlie put me in an interrogation room at his old office, and although I knew he just needed a place to talk to me, it made me feel like a criminal, like he blamed me for everything that happened. That I was somehow guilty.

Charlie was retired FBI. Actually, when he retired, he was the Bureau Chief for the state of Washington, and he still had some pull, lots of loyal friends. So after we spoke, he asked me to meet me at his old office. He put me in this room and promptly disappeared.

I thought back on the phone call, that first call to Charlie... one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life. He listened quietly at first, but I knew what was happening on the other end of the line. I knew he was stewing, that his pressure was going up, and that his face was turning from red to purple. It was only a matter of time before he blew.

And he did.

He screamed at me for about twenty minutes, and I alternated between screaming back at him and crying. I was a fucking _adult _for God's sake, and he was treating me like a child. Or a perp. I didn't know which was worse.

Eventually, we got to a place in the conversation where he started to ask questions, and he would pause after I answered. I could tell he was writing everything down. Old habits died hard. Charles Swan was never without a notebook and a pencil.

Once he went into cop-mode, I started to relax a little. The pictures were still out there, but I knew that he would take care of it.

The door opened, and Charlie walked back in, followed by several of his former teammates. They all knew me, so no introductions were needed, but when he asked me to tell the story again, I panicked. I couldn't. I just couldn't tell these men, who were like my family, about my sordid activities. And the pictures... oh my God, they were going to look at that website. They would see the pictures. Of me. Naked. In a variety of sexual acts.

"Bella?" Charlie asked.

I looked up at him, the gray in his hair, the lines on his face, and my mouth started to quiver. He could tell I was about to cry, the tears already pooling in my eyes.

He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"Honey, I know this is hard, but you have to tell them what happened, okay?"

I nodded slowly and turned back to my audience.

I told the entire story, from start to finish, giving them all the information I had. Fortunately, these men were all business, and once I started, I felt less and less uncomfortable.

As soon as I finished, Charlie started barking out orders, and his team, well, his _former_ team, was furiously scribbling on _their _pads of paper with _their _pencils.

The first order of business, for everyone in the room, was to get the pictures taken off of the site, and I knew that would be difficult. They were also tasked with finding out everything about the site, who owned it, who ran it, where they got their pictures, and the legalities of what they were doing. Another team was already headed over to the hotel, to question management, to search the suite for cameras. They were considering it a crime scene.

Finally, everyone was gone, even Charlie. It was just me, sitting in that cold room, on that hard chair, remembering every detail from that night. I couldn't help thinking about it.

* * *

_"Jesus, that was amazing," I gasped, collapsing on my back next to Edward on the big, soft bed. He had fucked me hard, just like he said he was going to do, and I didn't think I'd be able to walk for a week._

"You're_ amazing," he said softly, brushing a piece of hair from my face. He was so gentle, so sweet. So different from the man pinning me to the bed just a few minutes earlier._

_But it was okay. I liked them both._

_We both just laid there for a while... breathing, feeling, thinking._

_Then, he sat up and held his hand out to me._

_"I believe we have a laundry list to attend to, am I right?"_

_I put my hand in his, quite willingly, and he pulled it to his mouth and pressed his lips against it, kissing me softly._

_"Yes, sir, that's right," I said with a wink. "Quite a long list, if I remember correctly." I smiled at him, wondering if he remembered everything we said. Everywhere we said we would fuck._

_"Starting with the couch in the living room, I believe." He pulled me up and to my feet. I was kind of shocked that he remembered that, and I followed behind him, until we were standing in front of that big gray couch._

_We were both still completely naked, but already comfortable with each other, neither of us shy or nervous. He sat on the couch, right in the middle, and looked up at me._

_"Come here," he said, the sweetness once again gone from his voice, now just rough and deep and commanding. He motioned for me to sit on his lap, and I did, straddling him with one knee on either side. His hands were immediately on me, running up my thighs, my hips, up the side of my body, then back down. His touch was soft and light, and his fingertips on my skin gave me chills and heat all at once._

_I put my hands on the back of the couch, on either side of his head, and leaned down to kiss him. Right before my lips touched his, he stopped me with a hand in the middle of my chest._

_"Ah, ah, ah," he scolded, imitating my previous behavior. I smirked at him and let him take control. I leaned back, sitting upright on his thighs. He grinned at me, but said nothing, leaning up until he was kissing the skin between my breasts._

_He brushed his lips back and forth several times, just missing my nipples each time, and it was maddening. I found myself leaning one way or the other, trying to silently encourage him to take me fully in his mouth._

_But he wouldn't._

_He just teased me. For several agonizing minutes that felt like hours._

_Finally, I couldn't take it anymore._

_"Please, baby," I whispered. "Edward, please."_

* * *

**Okay, two things:**

**1. I am not a law enforcement professional. What little I know about police procedure is from watching an obsessive amount of Law & Order, SVU. So if something is wrong, police-wise, I claim no responsibility. That holds for all future chapters as well, cause there's a lot more cop stuff to come.**

**2. And a little more seriously, I know it's a little strange to have this very awful thing happen to her, but to have her still thinking about the sex fondly. And to have us reading it, hanging on every dirty word. But bear with me, please. :)**

**I lied. two more things:**

**1. You may or may not notice that we don't see them using a condom or talking about birth control at all. It's just clumsy for me to write it, kinda takes the oomph out of my ploff, so we're just gonna assume they are.**

******2. I LOVE this Charlie. He might be my favorite character in this entire story. We'll see more of him, and their interactions are just so interesting. Gruff but lovable.**

******I'll post another chapter later this afternoon if all goes well. Can't leave you hanging in the middle of her laundry list escapades!**

******Thanks again to all of you, for reading, for asking great questions, for being so supportive. Every time I get an email notification from FF, I feel like it's Christmas, or the lottery, or the beach, or a good rainy Saturday morning. And fresh, hot french toast. And McDonald's french fries with extra salt. And pizza with extra cheese and mushrooms. And pictures of RP's tongue. :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

_I wanted to touch him, to bury my fingers in his hair, pull him to me, and hold his head against my chest. But I didn't. I kept my hands on the couch, waiting for him to make a move._

_"What, Bella?" he asked innocently. "Tell me what you need."_

_Fuck, he really was a control freak, wasn't he?_

_"My breast, my... nipple," I gasped. "Please... your mouth." I pushed my chest subtly towards him, and he moved away just enough. Fucking maddening. "Please, Edward," I begged. "Jesus, please," I muttered under my breath._

_He looked at me for a moment or two, the intensity in those blue-green eyes focused completely on me, and I melted just a little bit._

_Then, he leaned in and gave me what I wanted._

_Jesus, his mouth, his lips. So warm and wet, licking and sucking and pulling and tugging. He bit down, a little too hard, and I cried out. He looked up at me and grinned, no remorse. _

_I moved my hands to his hair, finally, and held his head to my chest, pulling his hair in concert with his teeth on me. I would pull a little too hard and he would growl. He would bite a little too hard, and I would let him know. It was a beautiful, delicious dance._

_His hands moved down the sides of my body to my hips, where they lingered briefly before sliding between my legs. He stroked me softly with one hand, the other slipping around behind me, grabbing my ass._

_"Here's what we're gonna do," he said in that deep, throaty voice, the fingers of both hands pressing and squeezing in concert. "First, I'm going to make you come, just like this, with my fingers." He squeezed my clit between two fingers then, just to illustrate his point. I thrust my hips towards him and cried out, loudly._

_He grinned._

_"Then, you're gonna fuck me, right here on this couch until _I _come." He did multiple things simultaneously then, and I didn't know if he was trying to make me come right then, or just make another point. He slid a finger inside me, pressing his thumb against my clit, he squeezed my ass - hard, and he brought his mouth back to my nipple, sucking it hard into his mouth, then nipping just enough with his teeth. The combination was too much, and my entire body flinched._

_"Fuck!" I cried. "Jesus, Edward, that -"_

_"Then," he interrupted. "We move on to the next item on the list, which, I believe, is that gigantic chair right there. " He gestured to the chair next to us with his head. "That should be interesting," he chuckled. "I have ideas already. Do you, Bella?"_

_He was working his fingers between my legs aggressively now, so I assumed that part one of his task had begun, and I went with it._

_"Yes," I moaned. "Oh God, yes."_

_"You do?" he asked innocently. "Tell me what you want me to do to you on that chair," he ordered. "Tell me while I make you come."_

_Jesus, he was fucking me with two fingers while his other finger rubbed on my clit, and I was so close already. But I looked at the chair, and started to think about what I wanted him to do._

_"The chair," I gasped. "I want..."_

_He lightened his touch while I paused, letting me know that he wouldn't let me come unless I was talking, so I began again._

_"I want you to," I said as he resumed, and I groaned. "To... to bend me over the back of it, and..."_

_"And?" he asked, hesitating._

_"And... fuck me from behind."_

_"Keep going, Bella. Tell me everything."_

* * *

**See? I told you. The fluff just keeps on coming. And so does Bella. Bah Da BOOM.**

**I know its a short one, but I'll post again in the morning. :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

_Jesus, this guy. _

_He liked to talk, and he liked me to talk as well. And fuck if it wasn't making me ridiculously hot._

_"I'm standing behind the chair, and you're... you're right behind me," I said, my eyes starting to close, letting myself see the fantasy. "You put your hand on my back, and... oh fuck."_

_"Don't stop, Bella, or I will," he warned._

_"And, and you push me over, roughly, bending me in half. Your hand rubs on my back, sliding down to my ass, then disappears. Then, you …"_

_"Bella..."_

_"You hit me, your hand against my ass. Oh God, I can hear it so clearly, that loud crack, then I feel the sting and the warmth on my skin. You hear me moan and you know I liked it, so... you do it again."_

_I wondered if he would try to spank me with the hand that was currently on my ass, but he didn't. He just squeezed and stroked my backside, letting his fingers explore a little here and there, but never quite going between my legs. He teased so much that I found myself wanting him to do it, but I would never, ever ask for it._

_"Yes," he said softly. He was hard as a rock, and I think this was getting him off just as much as it was me. So I kept going._

_"You spank me a few more times, on both sides, until you can't take it anymore... the sight of me bent over in front of you, wet and ready, my skin hot and red from your hands..."_

_"Continue," he moaned loudly, moving his hips towards me. _

_"You kick my legs apart, grab my hips, and shove your cock inside me... hard... no mercy."_

_He made a noise, but no recognizable words. I was close, right on the edge. Part two was just around the corner._

_"Then you fuck me... oh God, Edward, you fuck me hard, so hard... yes... holding my hips... I'm close, baby," I moaned, my eyes screwed shut. "Holding me tightly to the chair so I can't move, oh... fucking me... yes..."_

_Right as I started to come, he removed his fingers from me, grabbed my hips, and pulled me on top of him, sliding his cock quickly and deeply inside of me. God, it felt so good, and it made my orgasm start again, from the beginning. He started thrusting up into me, hard and fast, guiding my hips with his hands. I lifted myself up from him, over and over, up and down, faster and faster._

_"Fuck, Bella," he groaned, gasping for air. "So hot... you… are... so... fucking... hot." He punctuated each word with a thrust, a hard, deep thrust._

_He must have been pretty worked up from the chair story, because he came shortly after that, and neither of us moved, just sitting there, him still inside me, both of us trying to catch our breath. I had fallen forward, and I was resting my head on his shoulder. His hands stroked my back, slowly, softly._

_He moved slightly, and I felt his lips on my neck, just a whisper._

_"Ready for the chair, baby?" he asked softly._

_I pulled back and looked at him with amusement. Was this guy serious? Well, hell yeah, I was ready. And from the looks of things, so was he._

_I laughed softly and climbed off of his lap. This time, I gave him _my _hand and helped him up. Once we were both standing, he started walking towards the chair, pulling me along behind him. He stopped, mid-way, and spun me around, a little dance move, sans music. I twirled and giggled, holding his hand._

_"Smile for the cameras, honey," he said, and I smiled and bowed at our imaginary audience._

No. No fucking way. It couldn't be. He couldn't have really said that; he couldn't have known. But... why else would he say something like that? At the time, I assumed he was just being cute, teasing me, egging me on, and I gladly played along.

But, maybe not. Maybe he knew. And maybe he was flaunting it in front of me.

Fuck! What else had he done that night, just to get a better picture? I started going through the entire night again, trying to remember every action, every comment, every word, looking for hidden meaning in everything he said and did.

How could I have trusted him? How could I have _believed _him? What a fucking _idiot _I was!

The door opened suddenly, and I jumped. It was Charlie, pulling me out of my nightmare fantasy.

"We have news, Bella," he said gruffly, again, all business, tossing a fat, manila folder onto the table. "We know who did this."

* * *

**Hmm. Lots of questions about Edward's involvement... did he or didn't he? Well, I can't tell you that, obviously, cause it'll give away all the good plot stuff! But again, trust me, and stick with me, and it'll all be good. I promise.**

**I also got a bunch of questions about Charlie, who he was to her... my bad! He's her father. I knew it in my head, but didn't SAY it. Whoops! I'll try to throw in a sentence in a future chapter for clarification. Thanks for letting me know!**

**The next few chapters are pretty plot heavy, fair warning... Then some smut, then more plot... you get the idea :) If it's a particularly short chapter (or if I leave you on a particularly steep cliffie), I'll try to post another chapter later that day.**

**Mel - I LOVE when dirty talks too! More of that to come... hehehe.**

**Thanks to all of you, for reading, and for sending me the most interesting ideas about what's going on!**

**And thanks to LibbyLou862, my fabulous beta, who makes all my stories 8000 times better. **

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

"Okay, first things first," Charlie started. "That website is down, out of commission for the foreseeable future. And those... _pictures_," he said with emphasis, like I wouldn't know which pictures, _exactly, _he was talking about, "are being removed and deleted from all of their systems as we speak. If they ever do get that site back up, which is doubtful, _those _pictures won't be there."

He got angrier as he spoke, but I knew it wasn't directed at me, that it was the people responsible for this debacle. I briefly felt sorry for Edward, thinking about when they finally brought him in, but I quickly moved past that and back to what Charlie was telling me.

"Second, this situation fits a pattern of similar incidents around the country." He paused for a moment, waiting for me to digest his words. "It's some sort of ring, Bella. They've hit different cities, always high-end hotel suites," he paused and looked at me. I'm sure he wanted to say something about "my" hotel suite, but he didn't. "Only one time in any given location, and then they're out."

"Okay, but - "

"Hang on, honey, there's more," he interrupted. "I had a team go through that suite," and he paused again. It was like every time he said it, it gave him a bad taste in his mouth or something. I certainly knew how he felt. It still made me nauseous. "There was no evidence. Nothing. No fingerprints, no wiring, no cameras. From the variety of pictures and angles that the photographs were taken," he stopped, clearing his throat and taking a sip of water. Poor Charlie. I really was putting him through a horrible ordeal. "As I was saying, from the angles, there had to have been twenty cameras, at a minimum. And you say you didn't see anything, so - "

"No, _dad_, I didn't see anything, _Jesus_," I said angrily. How dare he fucking insinuate that I saw them but wasn't telling him.

"That's not what I was saying Bella, and you damn well know it." He glared at me over his glasses, a move he used to pull when I was in high school and missed my curfew. I just glared right back, refusing to be intimidated by my own father. He cleared his throat again, shuffled his papers, and continued to tell me what his team had discovered.

"According to our investigation, this group, whoever they are, they always have someone on the inside, someone in the hotels who gives them access, maybe suggests possible targets, usually people attending conventions." He paused at the word "conventions," waiting for me to say something, but I simply nodded in acknowledgement. It was almost like he was baiting me for an argument. Or it could be the fact that I hadn't slept in three days.

He cleared his throat again to get my attention.

"Based on the information you gave us, we interviewed several employees of the hotel, and we found the accomplice. He's been arrested and is being questioned right now."

I looked at him, waiting for him to enlighten me, tell me who it was, but he just stared at me. I finally had to ask him.

"Well?" I asked. He said nothing. "Who is it? Who's the accomplice? Who did you arrest?"

He looked down at his paperwork again, like he couldn't remember the guy's name.

"Black," he said. "Jacob Black." Then he looked up at me, waiting for me to tell me who he was.

"I have no idea who that is. I don't know anyone by that name."

He looked down and started rummaging through his paperwork. His glasses were on the tip of his nose, and he kept moving his head to look through the glasses and then above them. If this wasn't such a serious, depressing issue, it would be almost comical.

"He was also known as 'Jake.'"

Jake. That struck a chord, for some reason. _Jake_. Who was he, who did I see that night, who did I talk to, who did Edward talk to -

_"Jake, we good?" he asked, and the bartender nodded back._

_"Yes, Sir. Have a good evening," the bartender replied with a smile._

* * *

**I know, more plot. More evidence piling up against Edward. I can't tell you what's gonna happen, but I can tell you that I'm gonna post 1 or 2 chapters a day until we reach 30, which is the end, and I think everyone will be happy with the ending. :)**

**Fair warning, next chapter is all plot, too, but we'll get back to the fluff in 17. **

**Thanks again, for sticking with me.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

"The bartender," I said, looking straight at my father, my anger starting to grow again.

"Yes, that's him," my father said. "What do you remember?"

"Not much," I said. "Well, that's not exactly true. It's not that I don't remember much, because I remember every fu- … um, every detail of that night. It's just that I didn't really interact with him, other than to get drinks from him. He and I never spoke."

"What about Cullen? Did he interact with _him_?" Charlie started to get red in the face again at the mention of Edward's name, and he would only refer to him by last name. It was like it was blasphemous or something to call him Edward.

"They seemed friendly," I said, thinking back to Jake and Edward at the bar. "But Edward," I swallowed hard, just saying his name out loud, and Charlie winced hearing it. "He was a very talkative person, very friendly. He talked to everyone, so him talking with Jake the way he did, well, it didn't seem out of place at all."

I thought about their parting words again, and something struck me. I hung my head down, rubbing a hand across my temples to ward off the oncoming headache. And I muttered a soft curse word, under my breath.

But Charlie caught it. He caught everything.

"What? Did you remember something? Everything is important, Bella, you never know what might -"

"Yes, Dad, I know. 'You never know what might mean something, no matter how small.'"

I sighed heavily, remembering my father's words during summers spent at his office.

"When we were leaving the bar, Edward turned to Jake and said 'Jake, we good?' Jake said yes or something, I don't remember. At the time, I thought it was just them settling up the bill, but now... considering..."

"What, Bella?"

"Well... " I thought. "What if... what if that was Edward asking Jake if everything was set up, if everything was ready?"

Charlie looked at me for a minute, then scribbled furiously on his pad, completely ignoring me.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Wait," he said curtly, holding up a hand to me, as he kept writing.

He finally looked up, and the expression on his face was resolute, but sad.

"Honey," he said, with a heavy sigh. "There's something I haven't told you yet, because, well, it's just circumstantial." He took another deep breath. "We reviewed the videotapes from the bar and their interactions, and it looks like he might have been in on it."

I just stared at him, unable to comprehend what he just said. I mean, I knew it all along, but hearing it from my father's lips, confirmed my worst fears.

"Bella?" he asked. "Did you hear what I said? Edward was in on it, honey." I just nodded, trying to accept what he was telling me. "We're gonna have to pull him in. We're gonna have to question him."

"Oh God." I dropped my head in my hands.

"Now this means that you can't speak to that asshole until we've completed our investigation. Understand?"

Charlie was all business, all cop. And I understood what he was saying, but it didn't quench the desire to talk to Edward and confront him. I wanted the chance, the satisfaction, of seeing the look on his face when I asked him who the fuck he thought he was.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. But," I said, lifting my chin in defiance, "I want to be there. I want to see that smug son of a bitch explain himself."

* * *

**This was a short one, and all plot, sorry. More to come later today. And I think we return to the fluff in the next chapter, or as EdMazing called it, "sexy smut."**

**It looks really bad for Edward, huh? Poor Bella. I wonder how it's all going to turn out! ;) I LOVE all of your questions and theories and comments! Keep em coming! I savor every single word.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

I was walking in the parking lot to my car, thinking over everything Charlie just told me, trying to figure out how this could've happened. What did I miss? What didn't I see? I should've been more aware of my surroundings, like Charlie always taught me. But fuck it, my attention was otherwise occupied. I shook my head to get those images out, and my phone rang. It was my daughter.

Shit. What the hell was I gonna tell her? I had been putting her off for days, inventing one lame excuse after another. I knew she'd see right through it eventually. I had been avoiding her until I knew what I was dealing with. And even though the answer was much worse than I thought, at least I _had _an answer. I knew if I had spoken to her before, I would've caved, and it would've all come tumbling out. I couldn't risk her knowing something like that about me. But now that I had a clearer picture of what he had done to me, I was resolved to see him pay, and my emotions were now under control. In fact, I was pissed.

"Hey, Bree."

"Hey, Mom. Crisis averted?"

"_What_?!"

"The phone call from Jessica? When you hung up on me?"

"Oh, that," I said, relieved. "Yeah, it was nothing. Just one of her drama traumas, " I forced a laugh.

"Oh, those," Bree laughed. "That's every day with her. Speaking of drama traumas, what's up with you lately? I've called and texted you and never heard back. I thought you were dead or something. I even called Charlie."

"What?! You called Charlie? What did he -"

"Calm down, Mother. I just wanted to make sure you were alive. He said you were with him and everything was fine." She paused. "So... what _is _up with you? What's going on?"

"Nothing," I sighed. "Just a lot of crap at work. Nothing you need to worry about."

"Well... how would you like to go with me to a party tonight? You'd love it! It's all the people you know, and you know they love you!"

"Ugh. Honey, I don't know if I'm in the mood for that right now, " I sidestepped her invitation. I wasn't sure I could handle social activity right now.

"Come on, Mom, it'll be fun! You're coming! I'll swing by your place and pick you up at eight. No excuses!" When Bree was determined, she got what she wanted, no matter what, so I knew it was pointless to argue.

"Alright," I surrendered. "What should I wear?"

* * *

I finally made it home, exhausted from the days events, and threw my keys and purse on the dining room table. As the keys skidded across the table, I reached to grab them, my fingers splayed across the slick wooden surface. Memories from that night flooded my senses, the cool, smooth wood beneath my skin.

_"I thought you said you were up for anything, pretty lady," he said with a smirk._

_"Oh God, I was," I mumbled, gasping for breath. "I mean... I am, I am." He had just made me come again, and I was quickly losing count. I don't know how he did it, but he was several years younger than me, and with youth comes stamina. Ah, the magic of younger men._

_He was walking me slowly backwards, and my knees were so weak, I was worried that I was going to collapse embarrassingly on the floor. I really didn't want for him to have to pick me up. But then I felt something behind me, something large and solid and unmoving._

_It was the dining room table._

_I leaned back against it, somewhat relieved that I had something to hold me up. But I shouldn't have worried._

_Edward stepped towards me until our bodies were touching, his hands around my waist, and he lifted me, quickly and easily, until I was sitting on the edge of the table, my feet dangling over the edge._

_He stepped back and grinned at me, and I knew, at this point, what that grin meant. I started running the laundry list through my head, trying to remember what was next... on the couch, on the chair, on the dining room table… Oh. _OH_._

* * *

**Here we go again... :)**

**Sorry this one was so short. I'll post again in the morning.**

**Thanks again to all of you... your comments, thoughts, and questions. I truly appreciate it. :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

_I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I smiled back at him, letting him know I was ready. Well, as ready as I would ever be._

_He took a step closer, until he was standing at the edge of the table. He put his hands on my knees and slowly pushed my legs apart._

_"Lay back," he said with a smirk and a lift of his chin. He put his hand on my chest and gently urged me down. I leaned back until I was touching the table, the coolness of the wood making me shiver slightly. Or maybe it was just the anticipation of what was about to happen._

_He leaned over me, his hands flat on the table at my sides, until his lips barely touched the skin on my stomach. I gasped softly, not out of surprise, because I was watching his every move, but because of the contrast of the coolness of the table and the warmth of his lips, both touching my skin at the same time._

_He lifted his head to look at me, his brows furrowed in a silent question, and I immediately dispelled his concerns._

_"Don't stop," I moaned softly, my voice already hoarse from screaming. _Good _screaming. I lifted a hand to his head, burying my fingers in his hair, and gently pulled him back down to me. He quickly took the hint and resumed kissing a slow, soft trail down my body._

_By the time he reached the juncture of my legs, I was squirming, aching, ready for him to get down to business. My hips were starting to twitch, wanting to move towards him, and I used the hand that I still had in his hair to push his head down to where I wanted him._

_"Patience, beautiful," he said with a grin. "Patience."_

_I huffed loudly and arched my back, rolling my body off of the table and towards him._

_He cocked an eyebrow at me in response and turned his head to look behind him. Fuck, if he walked away, if he was going to tease me and not finish what he started, I was going to be fucking pissed._

_But I shouldn't have worried. He was just looking for a chair. One of the dining room chairs that he had pushed out of the way when he walked me to the table. He pulled it up, close to the edge, and sat down._

_At the head of the table._

_Between my legs._

_Jesus._

_I lifted my head to look at him, and I could just see his head peeking between my legs. There was something weirdly gynecological about it all, but I quickly dismissed that line of thinking when he started stroking the skin on the inside of my thighs, just his fingertips, so slowly… so softly._

_I fell back on the table, wanting desperately to watch what he was doing to me, but too exhausted and too turned on to hold myself up. I just closed my eyes and let myself feel. It was such a luxury, really. Younger men usually required such effort, but Edward, oh fuck yes, he was so giving._

_His hands slid up my legs until they were behind my knees, holding my legs in position. He pushed my legs open, gently, up and back, and then I felt his breath on my skin. It look a little of the strain off of me, and I was able to let myself relax a bit._

_I waited, for what felt like minutes. Waited to feel him touch me. Waited for him to make me come again._

_He pressed his lips against me first. Just his lips. Soft, full, warm. Gentle touches on my skin. Then his tongue came out, just the tip, and barely touched me. I gasped again, flinching my body towards his mouth, silently begging him to move faster._

_But if there was anything I knew about him at this point, it was this: he would do this on his own time frame, exactly how he wanted to do it, and the more I pushed him in one direction, the more he would make me wait. Just because he could. And fuck, how I loved it._

_So I waited. I was breathing heavily, my fingers grasping and clawing at the table beneath me, just trying to hold onto _something_, when I felt his warm, wet tongue really touch me._

* * *

**All fluff, but with that underlying mystery of "what really happened that night?" I promise that all of your questions will be answered, but it might not be until the very end, so please stick with me! :)**

**I'm out of town today, RL business, posting this before I hit the road. Hoping to get back early enough tonight to post another chapter, but wanted to warn you just in case.**

**Thanks to LayAtHomeMom for recommending TMOS in her last chapter of her story, "Felt!"**

**Also thanks to MidnightCougar for listing TMOS on .com under the "What We're Reading Library!"**

**If you found my story from a recommendation, please let me know who and where so I can thank them! And thanks, as always, to all of YOU!**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

_And oh fuck, I had to see it, I had to see _him_, his face between my legs. I needed to bank that image for the future. I lifted myself up onto my elbows, and I don't know if he felt me move or saw me, but he looked up at me, never moving his tongue away from my body. His eyes were large and dark and his stare was intense and hungry. I couldn't look away._

_When his tongue touched my clit, I moaned again, a long and desperate "yes." He slid down until he could slip his tongue inside me, his lips hard pressed against my body, and I could feel him fucking me with his mouth._

_I fell back to the table with a loud groan, my fingers scraping against the smooth, glossy finish. He seemed to really like that, that he made me lose control, and he started moving faster, making a delicious rumbling noise. He moved back up to my clit, making slow circles with his tongue and soft kisses with his lips. _

_At last, I think he decided that he was ready to make me come again, and he concentrated on my clit, sucking it between his lips and pressing his tongue back and forth. I was breathing in gasps, moaning with each exhale, lifting to look at him, then falling back to the table._

_He slid one hand from behind my knee, down my thigh, until I felt his finger between my legs, sliding inside me. Oh hell, that felt so good, and I immediately tightened my muscles around him. I wanted his cock, and I wanted it now, quick and hard, but I couldn't get the words out._

_"Oh please, Edward," I breathed. "Please… please… please."_

_He moaned against me, encouraged by my words, the subtle pumping of my hips. He started to move the finger he had inside me, slowly fucking me, and he increased the pressure with his tongue. He pressed it against me and stroked it back and forth, matching the rhythm of his finger._

_"Oh God, Edward," I moaned. "Yes, fuck!"_

_He pulled out and slid two fingers back in. It was more, but still not enough._

_"Yes, Jesus," I said, panting. "Fuck me, baby, please, make me come. Please."_

_He growled between my legs, fucking _growled_, and it was the most fantastically arousing sound, He was breathing heavily through his nose, and I could hear it, the quickening pace, the heavy exhale, and then the growl - it sounded like he was eating me alive, consuming me._

_"Oh shit, that's so fucking…" I tried, but couldn't remember all the words I wanted to say. I was so close, I could feel it building in my stomach. "Yes, there. Don't… Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't…"_

_I lifted up from the table, wanting to see him at that exact moment, the moment when he made me come with his mouth, and that was it… I exploded, the orgasm burning through my body. I collapsed back onto the table, content to ride out the beautiful wave, and realized that he was still licking me, still fucking me with his fingers._

_I closed my eyes and gripped the table. The main part of my orgasm, the big burst, the rush, the overwhelming wave, had happened. It was over. But he kept moving against me and inside me, and the feeling kept going. I kept waiting for it to end, but it never seemed to stop._

_And then he -_

I woke up abruptly, the harsh ringing of my cell phone pulling me out of my pornographic dream. I had fallen asleep on the dining room table, my head on my folded arms, and I was aching and wet.

I disgusted myself. How could I let that man enter my dreams, and how the fuck did he still make me aroused? Fuck!

I checked the clock and realized I would be late for Bree's party if I didn't jump in the shower right away.

* * *

**Don't hate me. Please?**

**Okay, I think that was laundry list #3, right? So what are the two remaining items on the list? And yes, we WILL see all of it. And remember, it's all gonna be good. I swear. 11 chapters left. **

**Btw, FF stripped out the website name from Midnight Couger's site that rec'ed my story: it's robattack then blogspot then com (that's the only way I can write it!) Hope that worked. Thanks again MC!**

**Thanks again to EdMazing for the pimpout on Facebook. :)**

**Today's review quote that made me laugh out loud: "Is 'head of the table' now referred to as 'head AT the table?'" (Thanks, EdwardsKitten)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	20. Chapter 20

The party was nice, laid back, just what I needed. I was having a good time, talking to a group of Bree's friends about an upcoming show they were all in. Bree had run off to the bar to fetch drinks, but knowing my daughter, that might take awhile. So I was surprised when she came up behind me, and whispered in my ear.

"Guess who's here?" She said in a sing-songy voice. She had a wide teasing grin on her face. She was up to something.

"Who?" I asked, rolling my eyes, slightly exasperated with her matchmaking games. She leaned back in, until her mouth was on my ear.

"It's your new boyfriend," she whispered. "It's _Edward_."

I whipped my head around to look at her, my heart thumping in my chest.

"_What_?" I snapped, grabbing Bree by the shoulders. "Edward?! Edward Cullen?!

"Ugh, yeah?" Bree replied, uncertainly. "Why?" She was obviously confused by my reaction, waiting for an explanation, but I had to get out of there. I knew I wasn't supposed to talk to him, but if I saw him, I would explode. So I made an excuse to Bree, and bolted for the door. "I just remembered I have a really early meeting, so I really should get back home," I said. "You don't mind, do you, honey?"

"No, Mom," she sighed, used to my hasty exits. "Do what you need to do. I'll talk to you later." She turned and rejoined the party.

I was halfway down the flight of stairs when he grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

"Bella!" he exclaimed. "Where's the fire, beautiful?"

I closed my eyes, remembering that voice, how it used to thrill me, and I realized, to my horror, that it still did.

I turned slowly to face him, and looked in those beautiful blue-green eyes. He cocked one eyebrow and started to grin. Before I knew it, my hand was swinging through the air, connecting with his face, a loud and satisfying crack echoing in the empty stairwell.

The look on his face was priceless.

"What the _fuck_, Bella?" he sputtered. "Why... What..."

"You fucking son of a bitch," I snarled slowly, yanking my wrist from his grip. "How could you do that to me? How could you do that to _anyone_?"

"_What_ are you talking about?" he asked, rubbing his reddening cheek.

"Don't play dumb with me, you fucking asshole! You know _exactly _what you did, and you will _not _get away with it, believe me."

"Bella," he whispered, looking suddenly remorseful. "I'm sorry I haven't called you back. I've been so busy with work and these clients -" he stopped, like he just had a thought, and he started to grin again. "You know, I still have that suite if you want another round?"

Then, he fucking winked at me.

Did he just say that to me? Did he just offer to take me to that suite again? I couldn't believe the balls on this guy, and I could feel my anger building, ready to explode. I knew I had to get out of there. I had already said too much, and I didn't want to risk the investigation. I wanted nothing more than to give this motherfucker a piece of my mind, but that would have to wait until he was behind bars. Then, it would be my turn to wink at him.

I turned and quickly ran down the stairs.

* * *

**I know it's a short one, sorry.**

**RL is a little nuts right now for me, but I'm committed to getting these chapters to yall. So please bear with me...**

**And thanks to all you. :) **

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	21. Chapter 21

I thought about him the whole way home... the things he said, the way he looked. I hated him. I truly hated him for what he did to me, but dammit, I still wanted him, and that pissed me off more than anything.

I changed into my pajamas and grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass from the kitchen, and headed out to the balcony. It was a cool night, and I had a great view and a comfortable chair. I needed to be alone with my thoughts.

I slowly sipped my wine, looking at the city through the balcony railing.

The more I thought about that night, the more I wondered about the part I played. Shouldn't I have seen this coming? Shouldn't I have realized what was going on? I felt like the entire incident was my fault. That I was somehow responsible.

How could I have allowed it to happen? I must've been blind to everything else because I was so attracted to him from the minute I first saw him. I wanted it to happen, I wanted someone to make me feel the way he made me feel.

I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Edward was fairly well-known in town. Once the news came out that he was involved in something like this, he would be ruined. Did he not think it would come out?

But he was an actor, and he could make you believe whatever he wanted you to believe, which is why I believed him.

I was thinking in circles, half a bottle of wine gone, and all I could think of was the taste of him in my mouth, the feel of his hard, hot skin on my tongue, and the sounds he made while I was on my knees for him.

_We were having a glass of wine on the balcony, a brief respite from the sexual carnage that had made up the evening so far. _

_After he went down on me on the dining room table, and gave me the longest orgasm of my life, he fucked me, hard, just like I wanted, and made me come two more times._

_After that, I needed a break._

_I mean, Jesus, I was considerably older than he was, and yes, I was in great shape, but I just couldn't handle a sex marathon with a twenty-something anymore. However, I was certainly not ready for the evening to end. All I needed was a little food, a little wine, and a few minutes. A breather._

_So we grabbed robes from the bathroom, adjourned to the kitchen on my suggestion, and ravenously ate whatever we could find._

_Fortunately, he had stocked the bar, and there were several decent bottles of wine to choose from. He opened one up and grabbed a couple of glasses and motioned for me to follow him. He pulled aside the drapes and slid open the large glass door leading to the balcony._

_"Ladies, first," he said, that smooth, warm voice pouring all over me. My cheeks warmed instantly, and I grinned at him, unable to control my girlish responses around him, unless he was fucking me, and then girlish went out the window._

_I walked outside and was struck by the beautiful nighttime view, all the lights of the city, a soft cool breeze._

_It was perfect._

_I stood at the railing and heard the clinking of the glasses and the bottle as he set them down on the glass-topped balcony table. And then, I felt him._

_Behind me._

_His hands slipping around my waist until he was wrapped around me. His face buried in my hair, his chin resting on my shoulder._

_"It's beautiful," I said softly as I laid my hands on top of his, leaning back into him._

_"_You're_ beautiful," he replied, his lips brushing against my neck._

_"Oh, God, Edward," I sighed. "That feels so good, but if you start that now, we'll never get to that bottle of wine."_

_He chuckled, a beautiful, deep sound. I thought he would keep going, no matter what I said, and I would cave, of course._

_But he didn't._

_He pulled away from me, but grabbed one of my hands and spun me slowly around so that he could pull me towards the table._

_He opened the bottle and poured us each a generous, full glass._

_The view was beautiful, and I wanted to enjoy it, so I went back to the railing and stood, slowly sipping my wine, enjoying the moment. He joined me, standing beside me, and we made easy small talk, slowly emptying the bottle._

_His hand was on top of mine on the railing, and he rubbed his thumb absently against my skin, slowly, softly. I was starting to zone out on what he was saying, and all I could think about was his thumb moving on my skin, and how good it felt. I ran my tongue across my lips, tasting the sweetness of the wine, but also tasting what we had done that night, tasting _him_. I started to think that I wanted to resume the marathon._

* * *

**Yes, this is the beginning of laundry list #4, the balcony. The next chapter continues with the same scene, then back to plot.**

**Here's how the rest of the story lays out - I know y'all want to know what happens and WHEN you're gonna know, but I can't give it _all_ away. I think the suspense makes it more fun... right? HA!**

**22 - balcony, part 2, plus some plot**

**23 - cop stuff, the beginning of the wrap up of the plot**

**24 - SMUT**

**25 - SMUT, part 2**

**26 - SMUT, wrap up, and more plot**

**27 - cop stuff, freight train of plot**

**28 - cop stuff, wait... WHAT?**

**29 - cop stuff - and then you FINALLY find out what's been going on (sorry it took me until chapter 29)**

**30 - the finale, so to speak**

**And that's it! I hope that wasn't TOO much information. I wanted to answer as many questions as i could without giving anything away. I hope I was successful with that. :)**

**We are now in what we like to call "the third act." Hope you like it! Hang on tight! :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	22. Chapter 22

_I turned back, pulling away from him briefly, and I placed my glass on the table. He turned to look at me, with simple curiosity, his back against the railing._

_I stepped back towards him until my body was flush against his, and I kissed him once. He seemed to be surprised at my forwardness, not that it wasn't welcomed, just unexpected. I stepped back and brought my hands down to the belt of his robe, slowly untying the knot, pulling the edges open until I could see all of his skin._

_He wasn't completely hard yet, but he was well on his way._

_And the way he was looking at me. Fuck. It was that surprised look again. Like he didn't know what I was going to do, and he was desperate to let me. Those soft, beautiful lips, pursed, waiting for something._

_But I was determined to make this about him, not me._

_I grabbed a cushion from one of the balcony chairs, and tossed it down at his feet. His eyes widened in surprise, but his expression didn't change. And he didn't move a muscle, except for his steadily rising cock._

_I finished my glass of wine, acutely aware of his eyes on me, the intensity of his stare, and returned my glass to the table. I dropped to my knees on the cushion, and I looked up at him._

_He was looking down at me, his lips parted, his chest rising and falling quickly. His eyes, his beautiful ocean blue eyes, were almost black with desire. For me. And for what he assumed I was about to do. _

_I ran my hands up his legs, slowly scratching my nails against his skin, and when I got to his stomach, he sucked in a deep, loud breath._

_"Shit," he said softly._

_I took his cock in my hand, pulling it gently up to his stomach, and I ran my tongue from the bottom of his balls all the way to the tip of his erection._

_"Fuck, Bella," he gasped. "Yes."_

_So I did it again._

_"Oh fuck, baby, fuck," he whispered hoarsely. "Please. Please don't…"_

_"Don't what?" I asked, my breath warm on his skin._

_"Don't stop, Bella," he moaned. "Please don't fucking stop."_

_I wanted to tease him mercilessly, like he had done with me, but the look on his face just killed me, and all I wanted in that moment was to make him happy, to hear him scream my name like I had screamed his._

_So I wrapped my mouth around the head of his cock and took him in, all at once._

_"Fuck!" he screamed, his cock twitching and hardening noticeably in my mouth._

_I pulled back slowly, sucking hard as I lifted off of him, then quickly took him all back in. Every few strokes, I would pull off of him completely and run my tongue slowly around his swollen head, and the sound of his moan was so delicious, that I couldn't wait to do it again._

_I found a rhythm, and so did he, his hips starting to move with me, and I noticed that he was holding onto the balcony railing behind him, arms spread out, knuckles white with effort._

_I moved my free hand between his legs, and when I scraped my fingernails across the bottom of his scrotum, he flinched and screamed._

_"Oh, shit, Bella. Oh fuck, baby. You can't… I can't… You - "_

_I popped off of him, looking up through my eyelashes. He pried one hand from the balcony railing and gently stroked my cheek, my hair._

_"What? Can't what?" I asked, innocently. I fucking knew _exactly _what he was going to say, but I wanted to hear him say it._

_"I can't… I can't hold off if you're gonna do that," he said, almost apologetically. "I'm gonna come. You're gonna make me come."_

_Exactly._

_I licked him again, from base to tip._

_"I want you to come, Edward," I whispered. "I want you to come in my mouth."_

_He froze, just for a second or two, his eyes widening at my words, then he slid his hand behind my head, burying his fingers in my hair, and pulled me towards him._

_I wrapped my lips around him, and sucked him down hard._

_"Yes, fuck," he groaned. "Yes, just like that, just like that."_

_I smiled a little. That was almost exactly what I said when he was going down on me earlier._

My cell phone was ringing. I must have fallen asleep on the balcony - too much wine and sleepless nights. By the time I grabbed my phone, the ringing had stopped, but the taste of Edward in my mouth seemed fresh.

Fuck. Another dream about that asshole. I wondered if I would ever get him out of my system. I felt like I needed to take another shower.

I looked down at my phone and saw two missed calls from Charlie. I was worried that he was calling so late at night, so I immediately called him back.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Charlie? Is anything wrong? It's late."

"Yeah, Bells, he's coming in. In the morning."

"Who?"

"Cullen. He thinks we're questioning him on a theft at the hotel, so keep your mouth shut."

Shit.

"Really, Dad? I know better, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "but I want you to come in. Not in the room. Behind the two-way. In case he says anything, you can tell me, and I can nail him on it. Okay with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure Dad," I said, my mind reeling. I was going to see him again, but this time, he wouldn't know I was there.

* * *

**I appreciate those of you who skipped through my last author's note, with the outline of remaining chapters - I'm like that too. I don't want to know, want to be COMPLETELY surprised! But, if you wanted to know, you have a little more info.**

**The next few chapters will be very plot heavy, and some of my favorite parts of the entire story. Then some more smut. Then some plot wrap up.**

**Thanks again for all of your support!**

**And thanks to my super beta, LibbyLou862, who is both a friend and a tyrant with a red pen!:)**

**Next chapter tonight...**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	23. Chapter 23

I stood in front of my closet for several minutes, trying to decide what to wear. It was ridiculous, me worrying about how I looked for Edward, after what he had done to me. But I couldn't help it. I was still madly attracted to him, and I wanted to look good. I wanted him to realize what he was missing, what he could have had if he hadn't fucked up so supremely.

I finally decided on a fitted taupe suit and a deep blue silk blouse. Professional, but sexy. I even selected some lacy undergarments under the suit. I knew that he wasn't going to see them, no fucking way _that _would ever happen again, but I needed to know, for myself, that I was attractive and sexy, and the lingerie helped me to get there. It was a strange sort of confidence that had always worked for me. It was like armor, protecting me from evil. Protecting me from _him_.

I got to Charlie's office early, and he put me in the little anteroom where the agents listened in on interrogations. There was a large window looking into the room, a small plain table and three chairs. I knew that the window was mirrored on the other side, and that he wouldn't be able to see me, but it still made me nervous. I felt like he could see me, that he would know I was there.

I sat in the chair, trying to be patient and quiet.

After several minutes, the door to the anteroom suddenly opened, and Charlie walked in. He nodded at me briefly, in total cop mode, then turned on the speaker next to the large window. He sat in the chair next to me and waited.

Several more minutes passed.

Finally, we heard a door opening over the speaker and a combination of voices. My head immediately popped up, and my eyes scoured the interrogation room for a glimpse of Edward Cullen.

My dad's former partner, Harry Clearwater, was standing in the doorway, ushering someone through the door. He had a friendly smile on his face, which I knew from experience was a cover for the hard questions to come.

Then, Edward walked in.

I couldn't breathe for a moment, my lungs frozen in place with the rest of me. He was still beautiful, impeccably dressed, and God help me, I still wanted to fuck him, even at that moment, even knowing what he had done to me.

I squeezed my legs together, my body reacting to his presence against my will, and I let out a big breath I was holding. Charlie instantly reacted.

"Bella? Honey? You okay?" he asked, his hand, warm and comforting, on my shoulder. It was a break in his tough guy character, but he was my father _first_, then a cop.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm fine." I took another deep breath and gave him the best reassuring smile I could muster. I needed to be in that room, to hear what Edward had to say for himself, and I didn't want my dad kicking me out because he thought I couldn't handle it.

We both turned back to the big glass window.

"So, Mr. Cullen, thank you for coming in today to assist us with this investigation. We'll get right into it," Harry said, "so we can get you out of here as quickly as possible." He smiled at Edward, but Edward just nodded back. Harry looked back at his paperwork and cleared his throat. "You were a guest of the hotel on the week of November 15th, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct," Edward said. It was the first time I heard him over the speaker, and I had an unfortunate, and instant, memory of his lips on my ear, his throaty commanding voice in my ear, telling me how he wanted to fuck me.

"And your employer is Banner Pharmaceuticals, correct?" Edward nodded. "And you were a guest of the hotel on official business with your company?" Edward nodded again. "Excellent, thank you, Mr. Cullen," Harry said with a smile. He was gearing up for the kill.

Harry started asked him a variety of questions about his business, what he did, how the hotel suite figured in, who he was entertaining. It got a little boring, and my mind started to drift. I was looking through the glass window at Edward, and every now and then, he would turn and look at me, or at least, I thought he was looking at me. It didn't take me long to realize that he was simply seeing his reflection in the mirror. I wondered if he thought at all about who was behind the mirror watching him. And I remembered another mirror, and Edward watching me...

* * *

**Wow. That was a short one. Sorry, I feel like they should all be 10,000 words long at this point! I want to give you a lot of bang for your buck! (Ha. I said "bang.") But alas, the chapters are what they are. At least you know you'll get another one in the morning. :)**

**So the interrogation begins, easily my favorite part of the entire story. And the smut. Yeah, I like the smut too.**

**Hang on tight...**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	24. Chapter 24

_"Come here," he said, pulling me behind him. "I want to show you something."_

_He led me into the large master bathroom, a beautiful, large room with rich marble and gleaming surfaces. I immediately focused on the huge bathtub on my left, and I was already fantasizing about what we were going to do in that tub._

_He came up behind me and kissed me on my neck, licking his way up to my ear._

_"Mmm," I mumbled. He felt so good. Everything he did was so good._

_"Not that," he whispered, gesturing to the tub. "This," he said, slowly turning us completely around until I saw our naked reflections in the mirror that covered the wall. The last item on the checklist._

_I stared at us for several seconds, the messy hair, the swollen lips, the wanton, lustful expressions. We were beautiful together, and it was an erotic vision that I would never, ever forget._

_"Look at us," he whispered, his lips on my ear. "Look at how sexy you are, how beautiful."_

_I started to object, but he wouldn't let me. He pressed a finger to my lips to silence me._

_"Bella, you are gorgeous. Stunningly beautiful. And sexy." His hands moved to my waist, then slid around to stroke softly against my stomach. "So goddamned sexy," he mumbled into my neck, his mouth and tongue kissing my skin, hard and hungry. I leaned back against him and moaned softly. I could feel his hard cock pressing against me, and I wanted it. Again._

_He lifted his hands until they were under my breasts, holding them both gently._

_"Look, Bella," he said in a low, commanding tone. "Watch us. Don't look away. I want you to watch what I do to you." _

_I met his eyes in the mirror, his dark, desperate eyes, and I felt myself giving in to him completely, wanting to be whatever he wanted me to be, wanting to do whatever he wanted me to do. As long as he never stopped touching me._

_He circled my hard nipples with his fingertips, his hands working in time with each other, and I squirmed beneath his touch._

_"More," I moaned, my eyes burning into his, wanting to look away, but knowing that it was impossible. "Please… more."_

_I watched the corner of his mouth turn up, just one side, into that cocky smirk that I already loved, the one that made me ache between my legs, and I felt the pressure of his fingers as they started to squeeze. It was starting to hurt, but it felt so good, too, and I didn't want him to stop, but then I couldn't take it anymore, and I cried out, the sound echoing off the cold, tile walls. _

_He grinned. I watched him._

_But he stopped. _

_And then he gently stroked my breasts, rubbing the tender skin between his fingertips, just enough sensation to feel good, to remind me of only the sweetness of the pain._

_He kept one hand on my breast, and his other hand starting working its way down my body, softly and slowly stroking the skin of my stomach, teasing just above where I was aching._

_"Tell me what you want, sweet Bella," he whispered in my ear, lips and tongue, nipping and tasting. "Tell me what you need. I'll give you anything you want."_

_Ah, fuck. Anything. I loved that word and I loved the way he said it. It was always better when one of us was desperate, and it was perfect when we were both there._

_"I want you to touch me," I groaned, my hips already starting to move._

_"Show me," he said, his voice low and rough. _

_I placed my hand on top of his, and moved it down so that he was completely covering my bare, aching pussy. And we started to move together, stroking my soft, wet skin._

_"Yes," I moaned._

_I pressed my tiny index finger against his, until I could feel his fingertip against my clit. I guided him to press against me in small circles, quickly increasing in pace, so fucking hungry to come again already. I pushed his hand until his finger was inside me, slipping easily into my warm wetness, then returning to press against my clit. We did that, again and again, until I could feel my orgasm quickly approaching._

_And he could tell that I was close._

_"Do you want to come like this? Hmm, Bella? With me fucking you with my finger?" he growled. "Or do you want something else?" He rubbed his hard erection against me, giving me the choice, but letting me know how much he wanted to fuck me._

_"Oh God, yes," I whispered. "I want that. Fuck yes, I want that."_

_His eyebrow lifted in question._

_"What, pretty lady? You want what?" he said, making me ask him for it._

_"Fuck, Edward," I moaned, my eyes closing briefly. "I want your cock. I want you to fuck me." I opened my eyes again, the effort increasing with my arousal, and stared into the darkening ocean. "And I want to watch you."_

* * *

**Some smut to keep you smiling throughout the day. Plot, up next.**

**Thanks again to ALL!**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	25. Chapter 25

_His expression changed then, just for a second, but it was animalistic, feral, hungry. I should have been scared, but I wasn't. I was just fucking turned on._

_He leaned back from me, just a little, and placed a hand on the middle of my back. Then he pushed, very gently._

_"Lean over," he said, his eyes wide and dark. "Hands on the counter."_

_I put my hands on the cool marble of the vanity counter, and pushed my ass back against him. I wanted to feel him next to me, his skin on mine, pushing and pulling, around me and inside me._

_He ran his hands up the skin of my back to my shoulders, pulling all of my hair together, out of my face, and to one side. He held my jaw in his palm, his thumb stroking across my bottom lip._

_"I want to see your face when I fuck you," he said simply._

_I closed my eyes briefly and moaned again._

_He pulled his hands back across my skin, over my back, until his hands and eyes were resting on my ass._

_"Spread your legs, baby," he urged softly. I took a step outward with each foot. "A little more," he said, and I complied._

_"Goddamn," he whispered, his eyes scouring over my body, offered up before him. "You look so fucking hot, right now. I wish I had a picture of you, just like this." He rubbed his hands over my skin, squeezing and pulling at the cheeks of my ass. Then he met my eyes again in the mirror. _

_"Tell me again, Bella," he demanded. "Tell me what you want."_

_"Fuck me, Edward," I begged hoarsely. "Please. Now. I can't wait any longer. I need you. Fuck me hard."_

_He murmured something softly, but I couldn't tell what he said. I think it was a curse. Then I felt him, the head of his cock, pressing against me, pushing, slowly, inside me._

_I closed my eyes to feel._

_"Open your eyes, Bella," he said loudly, suddenly. "Watch."_

_So I did._

_He gripped my hips and pulled me towards him until he was fully seated inside me. Then he started to move. Really move._

_"Fuck, you feel good," he said. "Yes."_

_Pounding hard, fast. Pulling on my hips, fingertips squeezing so tightly that I knew I would have bruises in the morning, but I didn't care. I wanted them. I wanted to see the evidence of him on my body._

_"Oh God, Edward," I groaned. "Harder baby. Fuck me harder," I begged._

_He didn't say a word in response, but he immediately gave me what I asked for. His hands held me tighter, pulling me and pushing me violently against his body, impaling me repeatedly with his hard, hot cock. And fuck, did it feel amazing. I dropped my head down and closed my eyes, concentrating on the way he was making me feel._

_He slid one hand up my back, across my shoulder, grabbing a handful of hair, and he pulled back. Hard, but not too hard. Just hard enough to hurt, to get my attention._

_"Fucking watch, Bella," he ordered. I watched him, us, as he fucked me. His hand left my hair and moved to the front of my body, between my legs, and he started to rub my clit furiously. He wanted me to come, and he wanted it now._

_I moaned, long and loud, words escaping me. I wanted to close my eyes, to concentrate, but his eyes were locked to mine, and his words were echoing in my ears. I gave him what he wanted, easily, and I came hard, grunting and moaning, and exhausted. I dropped my eyes briefly, but then forced my eyes back to his face in the mirror, his jaw clenched tight as he approached his release, and then his eyes met mine as he started to come._

"Bella?"

The voice of my father pulled me from my memory of that night and back into the dingy interrogation anteroom.

"Bella? _Honey_?"

I was standing, somehow. Standing at the interrogation mirror, my hands on the glass, my eyes locked on Edward's. He was looking at me, somehow. I knew that was impossible, that he couldn't see me, but it felt like he could, and I was lost.

_Fuck_.

I looked down and took a deep breath.

Then, I looked back at Charlie and smiled.

* * *

**I love that so many of you are loving this story, and not just the smutty parts - you seem to like the plot too, which is AWESOME. However, the closer we get to the end, the more nervous I get about the "big reveal." I just hope you all like it and aren't disappointed. :)**

**Sorry for the melancholy. RL has dealt me a life-changing (but GOOD) week, and my attention has been drawn elsewhere. And then this morning, I got a not-so-nice review, but it was anonymous, so I couldn't even respond. Frustrating. I welcome all input, good or bad, but please give me your name so I can address your issues.**

**The plot finale arc starts now. **

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	26. Chapter 26

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine. Sorry. Haven't slept much lately," I said with a forced laugh. "I think my mind just wandered for a minute."

"Well, Harry's done with the prelims, and he's getting ready to start hitting the issue, so I wanted to make sure you were listening," he said gruffly. "You know, in case he says anything..."

"Yeah, I know. In case he says anything that you can use, I got it." I was getting a little frustrated, in more than one way, and I just wanted this all to be over. I wanted to move on with my life and forget that night, forget that he ever existed.

I returned to my chair and sat next to Charlie.

"So Mr. Cullen, you had several guests in your suite, correct? Guests you were entertaining?"

"Yes," Edward replied.

"Women and men? Or just women?" Harry asked with a knowing smirk.

"Women and men," Edward said cautiously. "All clients, all different ages, all different races." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Fuck, his hair. "What does that have to do with the robbery at the hotel?"

"Just sit tight, Mr. Cullen, we're getting there," Harry said, leafing through his papers. "Okay, just to clarify, there were both women and men invited up to your suite for business." He paused. "And how many of those women did you invite up to your suite for sexual relations?" He looked up at Edward with a completely innocent expression, like he had just asked him what his shoe size was. I held my breath. I almost didn't want to know the answer to his question. I didn't want to know how many other women Edward had in that suite.

"_What_?" Edward asked, irately. "I _never _invited women up to the room for... for that. This was a business arrangement. I was entertaining clients for work, for God's sake! What the hell are you getting at?" Edward was starting to get angry. Good. It was about time someone pulled the rug out from under his perfect life.

"You never invited women up to the suite for sex? Never that entire week? Not even once?" Harry asked. He was setting the trap.

"No!" Edward said indignantly.

"Mr. Cullen, think very carefully before you answer this next question," Harry asked. "Did you or did you not invite a woman up to your hotel suite for sex at some point in that week? Think carefully."

Edward glared at him, took a breath like he was getting ready to yell at Harry, then he stopped, reconsidered. He looked suddenly guilty, like he knew exactly what Harry was asking.

"I... " he said hesitantly, clearing his throat, obviously stalling for time. "I, I only did that once. _One _time," he said, hanging his head. Then, he suddenly looked up, meeting Harry's eyes. "But that had nothing to do with work, it was personal, not business, and certainly nothing to do with this... robbery!"

"What was her name, Mr. Cullen?" Harry asked.

"I... I'd rather not say, that's private. It really has nothing to do with any of this."

"Any of _this_?" Harry asked. "What exactly is _'this' _Mr. Cullen? What do you think we're talking about? Is there something about the hotel you want to tell me? Something that you were involved in?"

"What?" Edward said again. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about! I didn't see any robbery, and I was there for business... business only! Except for... except for that one night. I only had someone in my suite, other than business, that one night."

"Her name? We need to confirm your story with her for our final report."

"Look, this is not something that I do, okay?" he sighed. "I don't sleep around. I don't invite strange women back to my house, or hotel, or whatever. That is my private life, and _her _private life, and she has nothing to do with any of this! And I don't understand why you are asking me these questions!"

Harry's face hardened all of a sudden.

"Actually, Mr. Cullen, the reason we called you in today isn't to discuss a robbery at your hotel." He waited a beat or two before continuing. "It's to talk about your involvement in a pornography ring, about pictures illegally taken in your hotel suite and publicly sold for Internet publication."

* * *

**Interrogation, Part 1. The interrogation is my favorite part (or have I said that before about a previous part? Ha! They're ALL my favorite!)**

**Thanksso much to all of you for your support from my authors note last chapter. You truly made me feel better, and I couldn't have a better group of readers!**

**I'm WOEFULLY behind on review replies. So sorry, truly. That RL thing I told you about is using up all of my free time. I keep all of them, and hope to reply back to every single one very soon.**

**Thanks, as always, to LibbyLou8263, my best friend and amazing beta. She talked me down from the ledge last night, and I love her for it!**

**Hope you liked this one... more coming tonight! And we're in the homestretch... Only 4 chapters left!**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Edward's jaw dropped a little, and he just stared at Harry, not speaking.

"Pornography? Wha - I have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly. Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, running his hand through his hair again. He seemed genuinely upset, but I had to keep reminding myself that he was an actor, and a very good one. Much better than I had realized, according to the performance he was giving at the moment.

"Mr. Cullen," Harry began again. "We have you on videotape at the hotel having several conversations with Jacob Black, the bartender at the hotel. Several conversations where you allude to selecting women from the bar to bring up to your suite, and Mr. Black was assisting you."

Harry hit play on a small remote, and a large monitor mounted on the far wall came to life. It was a fuzzy image, and although there was no audio, the FBI had experts who could determine what was being said to a reasonable certainty. The dialogue was written along the bottom of the screen, like captions.

It was Jake, behind the bar, and Edward was sitting at the bar, half turned to the camera. A woman walked by, and Jake smiled and leaned in to Edward.

_"How about that one?" _he said with a leering glance back at the woman, who had settled in a booth in the corner. The movement of his lips and the expression on his face clearly confirmed the conversation.

Edward laughed at Jake, looking like he was playing along, and replied, "_No, not her_."

The agent glared at Edward, waiting for him to suddenly confess, and then angrily turned back to the monitor when he didn't.

"There are several of these interactions, all exactly the same. An attractive woman walks by, Mr. Black makes a comment, and you reply. But it's always the same... 'How about this one?' then 'No, not her.' I don't get it, Mr. Cullen. What exactly was your process for picking just the right woman for your night on camera? What made you decline all of these women?" he demanded as he hit the fast-forward button on the remote. My eyes had trouble keeping up, but I saw more women go by, more women that they discussed. Harry turned his laser glare back to Edward. "And what exactly was it about this last one that made her the lucky gal?"

He slid a picture of me across the table until it hit Edward's hands. It was a picture from that night, from the suite, but the agents had graciously cropped it so that it only showed my face. Edward looked down at it and gasped, like he was surprised to see it. He stared at the picture for several seconds, his face softening just enough for me to notice, and I wondered what he was thinking, what was going through his head at that exact moment. Did he suddenly feel remorseful for what he did? Did seeing my picture, remembering my face, in what was surely hundreds of faces in his memory, did it make him regret his disgusting, deceitful, and illegal actions?

"You are twisting around everything I said, everything that happened," Edward said suddenly, his voice, low and angry. "I don't know anything about a porn ring, and I certainly don't know anything about - "

He stopped suddenly, his eyes returning to my picture, still face up on the table. He picked it up, holding it for several seconds before he spoke.

"Wait a minute," he said, sounding confused and a little upset. "You said something about a pornography ring. About pictures taken in my hotel suite. And about pictures," he paused, swallowing hard, "showing up on the web."

No one said a word. He had started talking, and they were going to let him go. It was standard procedure, the perp often talking themselves into a corner.

"The pictures," Edward said, his obvious anger growing as he spoke. "Was _she _in these pictures?" He held up my picture, shaking it in Harry's face.

"I think you know the answer to that, Mr. Cullen," Harry replied coolly. "Since you were there. Since you were the one who authorized the shoot. The one who gave Mr. Black the go-ahead to turn on the cameras that night."

Edward exploded, shooting out of his chair and jumping on Harry. The chair fell to the floor, making a loud crashing noise, and activity in the room seemed to be moving in slow motion. Edward was hitting Harry. The other two officers were pulling on Edward, trying to get him off of Harry, but Edward was a man possessed.

Finally, they had control of him and slammed him, face-down, on the table, pulling his arms behind his back and handcuffing him. One of them was reading him his rights, arresting him for assault on a federal agent, the other was securing the cuffs and throwing him back in the chair. They must have hit Edward as well, in the scuffle, because his lip was swollen and there was a trickle of blood coming out of the side of his mouth.

"You didn't answer me!" he screamed at Harry. "Was she the girl in the pictures you're talking about? On the Internet?" He started to struggle again, pulling at his bound wrists. "_Was it her? Was it Bella_?"

I flinched hearing my name, and so did Charlie.

Edward was breathing heavily, the veins in his neck standing out. He was staring at Harry, his unanswered question hanging heavily in the air. We all knew the answer to his question, that I was the girl in the pictures, but he didn't know that we knew.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen. The pictures you took of Ms. Swan, the illegal pornographic pictures of the two of you in that hotel suite, appeared on the Internet, just as you arranged."

"Of us?" Edward asked, his voice strangely quiet. "The pictures... they were of Bella and me? In the suite?"

Harry nodded.

"But... how?" he asked. "Who, who could have... where did the pictures come from? I don't... I don't understand."

I found myself feeling sorry for Edward, understanding exactly what he was going through, the moment of realization. I had to keep remind myself that he was in on it, that he had put me in the position I was in, that this was all his fault.

"Please, I didn't do anything, for God's sake, just tell me what the hell is going on," he gasped. "I don't know what exactly you think I did, what I was a part of, but I'm a fucking victim here, just like - "

He stopped, just before saying my name a second time, and it was a good thing, because Charlie had stood up at that moment and had his hand on the interrogation room door. If Edward had dared to equate his situation with mine, well, I feared for Edward's life.

* * *

**Sorry this is so late. I've been out of town all day and JUST got back. I hope it was worth waiting for. This chapter, and the next, are my favorites. :)**

**Typo in my last author's note. My beta's name is LibbyLou862 :)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	28. Chapter 28

The agents in the room bristled as well, all having known me since I was born. They all considered themselves family, and they were fully ready to pound the shit out of anyone involved in this crime. Edward sensed the precariousness of his situation, and wisely closed his mouth.

"I didn't do anything," he mumbled. "I swear, I didn't..."

"Alright," Harry said suddenly. "Let's take a break, give Mr. Cullen some time to consider his actions. Perhaps when we return, Mr. Cullen, you'll be prepared to start telling us the truth." Harry walked out of the room, followed by his team. Edward was alone in the room, staring at the closed door.

"I didn't do anything," he whispered to himself. "I didn't..." He looked down at the table, and his eyes fell on my picture, the one that Harry had shown him. "Oh, Jesus... Bella," he groaned, his voice full of regret and despair. "I'm so sorry, Bella... I'm so sorry..."

I started to get up, to leave the room and get some air. I just couldn't watch Edward anymore. It was pathetic, and I was supposed to be angry and hungry for his blood. Instead, I found myself feeling sorry for him, wanting to comfort him, to let him know that I understood, more than anyone, exactly how he felt. But the guards burst in the room, right at that moment, and hauled Edward away, back to his holding cell, I assumed. They were going to let him stew for a while, then come back at him and hit him from a different angle.

I stared at the empty room.

The videotape from the bar was still playing on the monitor, in fast forward, and I watched myself walk into the bar.

"Oh shit," I said softly. It was surreal watching that entire evening on the grainy black and white video. The laughing, the flirting, the touching. It disgusted me now, after the fact, and I kept seeing hidden meaning in all of Edward's actions. Then, he grabbed my hand, and we walked out of the bar. I knew what came next, and I hoped Charlie didn't have video from the elevator - I knew it existed, but I didn't think I could sit in the same room with my father while I watched a man grope me and shove his tongue down my throat. Thankfully, Charlie's head was down, his attention directed to his outdated Blackberry.

My attention returned to the monitor. Jake, the bartender, watched us walk away, then he motioned to a man sitting at the end of the bar. I remembered him. He was young, just barely old enough to be in a bar. The man said something to Jake, and right at that moment, I saw myself pop quickly back into the video. I had forgotten my purse, grabbed it from the bar, and disappeared again. There were no captions at this point in the video. I supposed the agents had concentrated on the interaction between Jake and Edward, and once Edward left the bar, they had moved on.

But as I walked out of the frame, Jake said something back to the man, and they both laughed. Then, the man got up and walked out of the bar.

The scene had entirely slipped my memory, and it wasn't until that moment that I remembered the exchange. It meant nothing to me at the time, and admittedly, my thoughts were on my baser desires, what I planned to do to Edward when we reached his suite.

I remembered what he said, what they were talking about when I walked up. But I had to have confirmation, I had to see it again, to be sure.

"Charlie," I said urgently. "We need to watch that video."

"What video?" Charlie asked, his attention immediately returning to me and the situation at hand. "The video we just watched? The video of that son of a bitch picking out his victims?"

I shook my head at him. I had no time for his theatrics, I needed to find out if I was right.

"No, after that," I said.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked. "Did you remember something?"

"I think I did, Dad, but I don't want to say anything until I'm sure. Can we... " I gestured to the interrogation room.

Charlie stood up and grabbed my elbow.

"Let's go."

He ushered me into the room and stood in front of the monitor, the urgency of the situation demanding that neither of us take the time to sit. Charlie was anxious to put a nail in Edward's coffin, and he was going to do everything he could to get there. He grabbed the remote from the table and started to rewind the video. I grabbed it from him in frustration.

"Just let me. I know what I'm looking for."

I rewound to when we left the bar, heading for the elevator, and hit play, at normal speed this time. I watched the interaction between Jake and the third man, stopping after I picked up my purse. I replayed the scene over and over, and I was confident in what I had found, what I had remembered.

"Dad," I said with a deep breath. "I think Edward's innocent."

* * *

**Here we go...**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	29. Chapter 29

"Okay, Bella, tell me what the hell you saw."

I took a deep breath, hoping that my dad would quickly see the truth of my words. I was starting to feel horrible about this whole thing.

"I had forgotten about my purse, Dad. I left my purse on the bar. Watching the tape made me remember."

"Yeah? So?" Charlie said impatiently.

"So, when I went back to the bar to grab my purse, which just took a second, the bartender, Jake, was talking to another guy sitting at the bar. Right when I walked up, I heard the customer guy say, '_Is that the guy? Your partner?_' and then Jake laughed and said, _'Him? No way. Doesn't know a fucking thing... he's just the _star.' And then they both laughed."

I fumbled with the remote for a second.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"_Sorry_?" Charlie said, his voice escalating in volume. "What the hell do you have to be sorry for, Bells? You're the damn victim! It's that sonofabitch Cull-"

"Dad!" I yelled, interrupting him. "That's what I'm trying to explain, if you would listen for a minute!"

He took a deep breath, and his skin color improved quickly, changing from purple to red.

"Watch the tape, Dad."

I rewound the tape, and hit "play." Then, I narrated.

"Okay, here I am walking back up to get my purse, and look at the guy, the customer." I paused the tape. "Now, watch him. He nods his head in Edward's direction, and then he says, _'Is that the guy_? _Your partner?'_" Then, I hit "play."

"Okay, got it." Charlie was back in cop mode. "Keep going." I paused the tape again.

"Now, watch Jake. He laughs and says, '_Him? No way. Doesn't know a fucking thing. He's just the star_.' Then they both laugh." Charlie nodded, and I hit "play" again.

Charlie watched, nodding, rubbing his chin with his hand. He was thinking. That was a relatively good sign, in my experience.

"Rewind it," he said gruffly. "Play it again."

So I did.

He stared at the television, mumbling to himself, then he suddenly walked out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with his team, and it was obvious they were very confused, that Charlie hadn't told them about the new development.

"Tell them, Bella," he said. "Tell them what you told me."

So I repeated the entire thing, laid it out just as I had done for Charlie, played the videotape over and over until Harry finally grabbed the remote from me so that he could play the parts over that he was interested in. They all took notes. Discussed. Analyzed.

Then, they all left the room, even Charlie, and I sat in the interrogation room and waited.

For hours. I walked. I paced. I went to the bathroom. I drank a Coke. I ate some pretzels. Memories of that night were swimming around in my head, and I kept pushing them down, torn between what I thought I knew and what I felt.

Finally, Charlie returned, sitting next to me, with a hand on my shoulder.

"Bells, honey. It looks like we were wrong about Cullen." He swallowed hard. "Like _I _was wrong. Looks like he was a victim too, just like you." He rubbed my shoulder and tried a small smile. "I'll make it right with him."

He explained to me that they found the young guy from the bar and questioned him. His name was Seth something, and he quickly gave up Jake, told them all about the setup. How Edward was innocent, how he didn't know anything about the cameras or the pictures. He said that the pornography ring had contacted Jake and given him a shitload of money to keep an eye out during the convention, to identify a good-looking guy who looked like he would bring women to his suite. Then he gave them his suite number, and they set everything up, just waiting for the right night. The night I was there.

Jake was still in custody, from his earlier questioning, and they charged him immediately. The investigation would continue, and he felt confident that they would find everyone involved in Jake's criminal enterprise.

Finally, Charlie walked out of the room, and I just sat there for a minute, trying to comprehend the day's events. I had a sudden ache in my stomach, and before I knew it, I was crying uncontrollably. It all hit me at once... that night, the pictures, thinking Edward was involved, having to tell my Dad, and finally, the relief in knowing that Edward was as innocent as I was. That he wasn't a horrible person. That he didn't do this to me.

I thought briefly that we might find comfort in each other's company, having gone through the same ordeal, but quickly dismissed that idea. I didn't think I could ever see him again. It was too painful.

* * *

**Well, now you know. :)**

**Edward was completely innocent all along. Maybe a little cocky with his actions, but innocent of this crime. And they seemed to have a connection more than just the physical. Wonder if they will ever see each other again?**

**I know some of you wanted him guilty, some wanted him innocent. I hope this works one way or another.**

**A big thank you to Libbybelle, who found a pretty big plot hole in my last chapter, and I was able to fix it before anyone else noticed! Whew! Thanks!**

**And thanks again to all of you. So supportive, so positive. This has been a fabulous, humbling experience for me. Love you all.**

**One more chapter to go, in the morning.**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


	30. Chapter 30

Edward called me about a week later.

I saw his name on my caller ID and I panicked. My first thought, my first feeling, was negative. It was still so hard for me to reconcile everything that I had learned, to remember that he was innocent.

My dad told me that after I left his office that day, that he brought Edward back in and explained everything to him. Edward was so grateful that the truth had come out that he shook my dad's hand, thanking him for everything. Dad told me that he was "an okay guy."

I knew, in my head, that Edward was just as much of a victim as I was, but I still found that I couldn't speak to him, so I dismissed the call.

He called every single day for three weeks. And every time, I refused to answer. I just couldn't.

Until finally, one day, on an impulse, I hit "answer."

"Bella?" I heard him say, very hesitantly.

I opened my mouth to speak, to answer him, to say something, but nothing came out. So I decided to just listen.

"Bella, if you're not going to talk to me, I understand, but I hope you'll listen." I closed my eyes and gripped the phone hard. He took a deep breath, and I imagined that he was running his hand through his hair as I had seen him do in my dad's office. "Bella, I'm so sorry. For everything. If I could take that whole night back I would..." He stopped talking for a second, and I thought he had hung up, but the phone said we were still connected, so I waited. "Actually, that's not true. As horrible as this whole ordeal has been, I would do it all again, if it meant I could be with you. I just... I just want to know you Bella, please. Please give me a chance."

I didn't answer him that day. I just eventually hung up.

And I didn't answer him the next day, but I listened again. And I listened every day for a week, until I finally said something back.

"_I know_."

That was it. Those two words were the beginning, and after that, I stopped ignoring his calls, and we spoke on the phone often. He kept asking me to meet him for dinner, for drinks, even just for coffee, but I couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Bree called one night, asking me, point blank, what the hell was going on with me. I asked her to come over, because it was too much for a phone call. I told her the whole sordid story, from start to finish, and we had a good, cathartic cry together. She hugged me when I was done. Bree was an _excellent _hugger.

She called me later that week and asked me to go see a play with her. We hadn't been back to the community theatre since I first saw him.

"Mom, he's in it. Edward's in the play," she blurted out.

"_What_?" I asked. "No! No, I can't go, I can't see him. I'm sorry, Bree, I just can't."

"Mother, please. You have to. You have to get past this and move on with your life. This whole thing is crippling you, and it's... it's killing me to watch it."

Her voice broke a little, like she was fighting to hold back tears.

"Oh honey, don't, please. I'm sorry, I just..."

"And he's so sad, Mom, he's just broken."

Wait. _He_? My heart started to pound.

"He? You mean Edward?" I said with a lump in my throat. It was still hard to say his name. "You talked to Edward? About _me_?" My voice was a little sharper than I intended, and I think I came across as angry because Bree immediately interrupted me.

"No, Mother, I didn't talk to him about you." She paused. "Okay, well, that's not exactly true. I didn't approach him. He came to me."

"What? Bree, for God's sake, just tell me what the hell happened. Quit dragging it out and tell me!"

"Jeez, Mom, calm down. Okay. I saw him out a couple of nights ago. He was sitting in the corner, by himself. It was pitiful. I looked away, but I wasn't quick enough, and he saw me. He got up and came over to talk to me."

"And?" I asked.

"All he did was ask about you. How you were doing. Were you mad at him. Did you say anything about him. I told him that was between the two of you, to leave me out of it."

I knew how he felt. At least, I think I did. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about that night. About how we connected on more than just a physical level. But then I would remember everything that happened after, and I had to force myself to think about something else.

But this? This was different. Knowing that he was suffering, and that I was the cause? It made me look at things in a different light. I started getting curious, wondering if I could see him. If I could talk to him. I was terrified, but I had to know.

"So," I asked. "What's the show?""

* * *

I had pulled just about every piece of clothing I owned out of my closet, trying to decide what to wear to the show. It would be the first time I saw him since that awful party, and I wanted to look good. I wanted him to remember that night, the good parts, how we clicked.

Five minutes before Bree was supposed to pick me up, I finally settled on a sleeveless gold silk dress. It had a beautiful iridescent shimmer to it, a fitted top, and a soft flare that twirled when I moved. I paired that with gold hoop earrings and maroon pumps. It was simple, elegant, and sexy as hell.

I was ready.

* * *

The play was good. Not one of my favorites, but I was only there to see Edward, and the minute he appeared on the stage, I was mesmerized. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He had such a great presence, just commanding attention. His voice was perfect, and he hit a beautiful high note at the end of one song, holding it with perfect control, and the audience erupted with loud applause, myself included.

The finale was a big production number, as usual, with the entire cast. Edward had the lead role, and he was center stage. Our seats were fairly close, and halfway through the song, he saw me.

I could tell the exact moment of recognition. He froze for a second, just a second, but I didn't think anyone else noticed. It was just because I was watching him so intently.

Then he smiled. That crooked smile. That beautiful, sexy grin of his, and I _knew_.

He was back in character almost immediately, and the theatre went black as the show ended. The orchestra kicked in, the lights came back up, and the cast appeared, one by one, for the curtain call. Edward was last, and when he came out and bowed, I stood up, clapping loudly. His eyes swept the room, graciously giving attention to the audience who so obviously appreciated him, and as the curtain closed for the final time, his eyes met mine and held them. He grinned, and I smiled back, completely unable to control myself any further, and right before the heavy red curtains met, he winked at me.

THE END

* * *

**Well, that's it then. :)**

**And here comes the massive author's note.**

**I liked ending this on a happy note, especially because of all the crap that they both went through. Now they can move on and see if they can make a relationship out of a one-night stand. A really _hot_, dirty one night stand, but still, one night. :)**

**I _might_ write an epilogue for this story, so we can all know how things turned out for our couple. BUT, if you have ever read anything that I've written before, written LIVE, you know that I'm a horrible updater, and it could be weeks or months between chapters! (This story took me 13 months to write. Seriously 13 months!) I'm awful, and I admit it. So put me on alert, and hopefully one day I'll have time to get to it. I'd love to know what happens as well. I already have some ideas...**

**Really - don't expect it in a week.**

**I also have been asked to write a chapter in EPOV. I LOVE writing in Edward's voice, and maybe the epilogue will be his perspective. We'll see.**

**One of the first questions I got asked early on was, "How did Jessica find out?" This cracked me up, because I had no idea! I just used the Jessica ****phone-call-thing as a vehicle for Bella to find out! I tried to find a way, a sentence, a phrase, something, to wrap that up, but I was never able to fit it in. So, let's just say that Jessica's boyfriend (Mike, of course!) looks at a lot of porn on the internet, and Jessica saw one of the pics and recognized Bella's face. Mike's never met her before, so he didn't know. Hope that works!**

**The Lemonade Stand is one of my favorite TwiFanFic websites, and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED this morning to see this story listed on their weekly poll! I'm going to turn into a shameless hussy right now, so if you don't want to see it, look away - Please go to their website and vote (for TMOS, if you are so inclined). ****tehlemonadestand . blogspot . com. Thank you to MidnightCougar, Nicffwhisperer, Layathomemom, and CarrieZM for the rec. You have all been ridiculously supportive of this story, and I always looked forward to what you had to say! Love also for Edmazing, also of TLS, for supporting this story and my previous one-shots! :)**

**Other folks I need to thank for recs: ****robattack . wordpress . com, ****twilightfanfictionrecsblog . blogspot . com, ****Layathomemom (again!) for the rec at the end of chapter two of her story "Felt," and**** Iris (at MariahajilE) for tweeting every time I updated with a new chapter! ****If I missed thanking anyone, I apologize... it's just because I didn't know that you pimped this story for me, or because I have a horrible memory - either way, it's not on purpose, I swear.**

**I have to thank all of YOU, for reading, sending me comments, reviews, questions - so much fun! I'll write for y'all ANYTIME. :)**

**My last, but not least, thank you is to my beta, and best friend, LibbyLou862. She truly is instrumental in all of my stories, with her vicious red pen, her logistics questions ("so when they walk into the room, the bed is on the right?"), and her plot discussions. Friday night, we had a conversation about whether or not the big reveal made sense, and she talked me down from the ledge. Love you Libby. :)**

**Okay, that's it. Wow, I don't want to go. But I guess I have to, so I'll just say b****ye for now ;)**

**All things "Twilight" belong to Stephanie Meyer. The remainder of the perversion is all mine. :)**


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